


Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon

by SWEULover2007



Series: Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey [4]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Legacy Era - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 10:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 113,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12768915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWEULover2007/pseuds/SWEULover2007
Summary: Edaan has brought the civil war in the Mandalore Sector to a head. As Natasi Daala and her remaining allies ready for the final attack, the young Jedi must rally all of his comrades to survive, win the war, and take the fight to the Sith in order for him to achieve his lifelong goal: redeem Sith Lady Vestara Khai. With the Force by his side, Edaan is the ready for whatever is next.





	1. Dramatis Personae and Prologue

Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon

 

_Dramatis Personae_

 

Adari Thayn; Teras Kasi instructor (Keshiri Female)

Akku Sei II; Mandalorian captain (Anzati Male)

Armand Vorn; Former Captain in Neo Death Watch (Human Male)

Atai Molec; Zygerria Prime Minister/Mechanic (Zygerrian Male)

Aurra Sing; Jedi Hunter, Bounty Hunter, and Neo Death Watch commander (Hybrid Female)

Azzim Anjilic Atirue; Hutt lord (Masculine Hutt)

Barratk’l; Jedi Master (Yuzzem Female)

Belok Rhal; Neo Death Watch Supreme Commander (Human Male)

Black Krrsantan; Jedi Hunter, Neo Death Watch commander (Wookiee Male)

Bhixen; Jedi Knight (Togorian Male)

Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter, _Mand’alor_ (Human Male)

Colovo; Former Black Sun Vigo (Shi’ido Male)

Corran Horn, Jedi Master (Human Male)

Durge; Former Black Sun Vigo (Gen’Dai Male)

Edaan Palpatine; Jedi Knight, Leader of the Shadow Alliance (Human Male)

Etahn A’baht; Former Galactic Alliance General (Dornean Male)

Firmus Nantz; Former Galactic Alliance Admiral (Human Male)

Fyor Rodan; Retired Politician (Human Male)

Gavin Darklighter; Galactic Alliance Admiral (Human Male)

Ghes Orade; Mandalorian warrior (Human Male)

Goran Beviin, Mandalorian warrior and farmer (Human Male)

Jaing Skirata; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter and spy (Human Male)

Jaden Korr; Jedi Knight (Human Male)

Jaina Solo Fel; Galactic Empress (Human Female)

Janek the White; Galactic Alliance Senator (Rodian Male)

Jarael Chantique; medic (Iskalloni Female)

Jenna Sauro; Galactic Senator (Human Female)

Kral Nevil; Galactic Alliance Commodore (Quarren Male)

Mirta Gev; Neo Death Watch deserter (Human-Kiffar Female)

Myri Antilles; Wraith Squadron Member (Human Female)

Nash Windrider; Wing Commander (Human Male)

Natasi Daala; Neo Death Watch leader and admiral (Human Female)

Nek Bwua’tu; Galactic Alliance Supreme Commander (Bothan Male)

Ponc Gavrisom; Former Galactic Alliance Senator (Calibob Male)

Rayder Sei; Master Assassin (Anzati Male)

Releqy A'Kla; Former Galactic Alliance Senator (Caamasi Female)

Robonino; Professional slicer/bounty hunter (Patrolian Slicer)

Roly Melusar; Special Force Advisor to Natasi Daala (Human Male)

R2-D2; Astromech Droid

Seha Dorvald; Jedi Master (Human Female)

Sintas Vel; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (Kiffar Female)

Syal Antilles; Rogue Squadron Leader (Human Female)

Turk Brand; Former Galactic Alliance Commodore (Human Male)

Traest Kre’frey; Confederation Admiral (Bothan Male)

U’Ta Divinian; Galactic Senator (Human Female)

Venku Skirata; Mandalorian leader (Human Male)

Voort “Piggy” sa Binring; Wraith Squadron Leader (Gamorrean Male)

Vua Rapuung; Refugee/Gladiator (Yuuzhan Vong Extolled)

 

_The Darkness has many proxies, each working for their own selfish designs. But, in the darkness, a spark of light is smoldering in the rubble, connecting with fallen timber, and beginning to grow._

 

**Hello, everyone. Sorry if my first chapter in my fourth story is later than you expected, but I needed a little break to rest my mind. Don’t worry, I have a truckload of ideas to unload, and I promise that you will enjoy them all very much. I hope that you like my expanded cast, as I plan to use each of them in big ways, to make sure that no one is left out, like I did with Atai in my previous story. Don’t worry, I’m going to update regularly, so you don’t have to worry about delays, unless, of course, something big and unexpected happened. Let’s pray, or in some people’s cases, hope, that nothing bad happens. Anyway, with all of the doom and gloom out of the way, what do you say that we get on with the story? Oh, and one more thing. Today, I finished _Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories_ , and have started _Star Wars: Knight Errant_ (the book, not the comic series, in case any of you got confused) So, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	2. Chapter 19

**Greetings, my friends. Say, how are you doing on such a fine day? I am a little mad, as I saw _Free State of Jones_ on June 25 th, and it was very moving in so many ways that I can’t go into without getting angry. I encourage you to go see the movie for yourself if you haven’t seen it yet, and it is well worth the time and money to see it. And, I am well over halfway done with _Knight Errant_. Anyway, with the side notes out of the way, are you ready for action, danger, and death on a scale that I’ve never written before, because I know that I am? If you are, then it will pick up soon, so in the meantime, enjoy, and please, please review my story, as I value your feedback. **

 

_Day 47 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_2235 Hours_

_In Orbit Above Mandalore_

_Onboard the_ Nossor Ri

 

Commodore Kral Nevil was on edge right now, which was normal for him, so his crew didn’t attempt to interfere with his work. As an experienced warrior, it was decided that he, Galactic Alliance Admiral Gavin Darklighter, and Goran Beviin, Boba Fett’s second-in-command, would command the fleet that protected Mandalore from invasion by Natasi Daala, her Neo Death Watch forces, her Jedi hunters, or her Sith masters if they decided to play their hand.

 

Over the course of the last seven hours, he was busy clearing the codes of any Mandalorians, Mandallians, mercenaries, late Imperial reinforcements, or former followers of the late Xasha Xizor that wanted to aid the Shadow Alliance, a coalition that was formed by Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine before he was captured in a mission to subvert Daala’s forces from the inside by recruiting Mirta Gev and anyone else who was willing to join his cause. Personally, Kral thought that it was a suicide mission, but, then again, he always thought that a Jedi’s thought process worked differently than most people, but, since they were often more effective than most of the galaxy, he decided to put a little faith in Edaan and his personal quest.

 

He was deep in thought about his late son when the sensor-officer of the command bridge of the _Nossor Ri_ shouted, “Commodore! We have incoming ships coming in from Sector Twelve!”

 

“Are they friendly?” Kral said, hoping for a “yes”, but prepared for a “no” as the sensor-officer shook his head.

 

“I don’t believe so, sir. According to the sensors, they’re one _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three _Keldabe_ -Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, four _Republic_ -class cruisers, an _Assassin_ -class Corvette, a wing of _bes'uliiks_ , and two _Lictor_ -class Dungeon Ships.”  

 

“They must be the first wave of Daala’s invasion fleet. Alert all ships. Battle Stations! Prepare for assault!” Kral ordered as he stood to attention.

 

_In Hyperspace, Just Outside of the Mandalore System_

_Onboard the_ Raptor

 

Mirta Gev was nervous, which was expected from a deserter. She had just led a small but deadly army of over six thousand Mandalorians to desert Natasi Daala’s mad crusade against her enemies in order to support her new friends, Edaan Palpatine and Armand Vorn, and her grandfather, Boba Fett. So, of course, she was anxious of seeing Boba again, who was also _Mand’alor_ , along with her grandmother, Sintas Vel, and Ghes Orade, Mirta’s husband that she hadn’t seen in over eight years. Even after thinking for over six hours, she was still at a loss at what she was going to say to them.

 

 _I guess I’ll just wing it._ Mirta thought as she ordered her small fleet to exit hyperspace.

 

As her ships disembarked from hyperspace, they found themselves facing a massive fleet of various ships orbiting the planet Mandalore, such as Star Destroyers of various eras and designs, Mon Calamari capital ships, Mandalorian ships of various designs, many ships of various eras, and a sizeable fleet of Hapan ships.

 

Ten seconds later, the communications officer said, “Commander, we’re being hailed by the… _Nossor Ri_ , the Viscount-Class Star Defender that is leading the fleet. What do you want to do, Ma’am?”

 

“Stay calm, everyone. Let me handle this. First, send a message to the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ , and tell them to get Edaan Palpatine on the line. After that, we’ll speak to commander of the fleet.” Mirta calmly said to the communications officer.

 

“Roger.” the officer said as she began typing away at the keyboard in front of her. After the message was sent to the Lictus-class Dungeon Ship beside them, she opened a channel to the _Nossor Ri_. A few seconds later, a hologram of a Quarren male who was wearing a Galactic Federation of Free Alliance Commodore uniform.

 

“ _This is Commodore Kral Nevil of the_ Nossor Ri _. To whom am I speaking to, and are you friend or foe?_ ” the Quarren asked.

 

“This is Commander Mirta Gev of the _Raptor_. This ship and every other here have deserted Natasi Daala and her Neo Death Watch forces, and are willing to serve under the true _Mand’alor_ , Boba Fett.”

 

“ _You’ll forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical of your claims. Do you have any proof of your intentions?_ ” Kral questioned as he folded his arms around his chest.

 

“ _Will_ my _word suffice?_ ” said a voice came from the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ as it opened a channel, and a hologram quickly came online to reveal a brown-haired and blue-eyed man with Jedi Combat Armor and a lightsaber around his belt.

 

“ _Ah. Am I to assume that you are Edaan Palpatine?_ ” Kral said, some of the skepticism leaving his tone as he unfolded his arms.

 

“ _That is correct, Commodore Nevil. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I’d ask you how your wife is doing, but we’re on a timetable._ ” Edaan said in a pleasant tone.

 

“That we are, Jedi Palpatine. That we are.” Mirta said in a professional tone before continuing, saying, “Do we have clearance to send two shuttles down to Mandalore to speak with whoever’s in charge?”

 

 _“Very well. I’ll alert the war council to expect company. In the meantime, your fleet can move to sector J-9._ ” Kral said.

 

“ _Actually, we’ll need at least four shuttles, as Daala captured some valuable prisoners that we’ll need to thaw out from carbonite as soon as possible, as their expertise in warfare could prove crucial in winning this civil war._ ” Edaan countered.

 

“ _Who are these prisoners, Jedi Palpatine?_ ” Kral asked.

 

“ _They’re some of Caedus’s political and military prisoners, such as Commodore Turk Brand, Admirals Kir Vantai and Firmus Nantz, General Etahn A’baht, the space marines loyal to them, and Senators Ponc Gavirsom, Releqy A'Kla, and Ta’laam Ranth._ ” Edaan curtly said, causing Kral and Mirta’s jaws to fall agape as the two of them, Mirta especially, realized the depths that Daala would go to in order to get to her enemies.

 

“ _By the Force, you found Caedus and Daala’s secret prisoners?_ ” Kral incredulously asked.

 

 _“Daala kept them onboard the Gorgon’s Revenge and Sunspot’s Legacy in order to make sure that they couldn’t be liberated. But, thanks to Mirta and her followers, they can be thawed out and we can put their skills to good use, once they’ve recovered from their hibernation sickness, of course._ ” Edaan explained to the two of them.

 

“ _Of- Of course, Jedi Palpatine. Commodore Nevil out._ ” Kral stammered out as he closed the transmission in order to alert the war council of this development.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later, At Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

 

“Are you serious, Commodore?” Gavin Darklighter, the leader of the covert Galactic Alliance forces sent to Mandalore to assist Edaan in his quest, and a member of the official war council that commanded Mandalore’s defenses, sputtered out as Kral Nevil relayed the news that Edaan Palpatine and Mirta Gev delivered to him.

 

“ _Very. The prison records sent over from the two dungeon ships confirms this: Daala had Caedus’s political and military prisoners kept in carbonite all of this time in order to keep her hold on the Galactic Alliance._ ” Kral confirmed this news.

 

“Then we must get them thawed out at once, and give them the best medical care that we have. It’s fortunate that we have Jarael Chantique and ten of the best medics and their support staff here with us right now.” Adari Thayn, Edaan’s fiancé, as well as the leader of the allies sent from the planets that Edaan visited in his travels across the galaxy, said.

 

“ _Indeed, Adari. And this may have other applications as well. Perhaps this discovery, made by a Jedi and his allies, no less, could be used to bring the Galactic Alliance into the fray on our side._ ” Azzim Anjilic Atirue, a Hutt crime lord and commander of the Hutt Grand Council forces sent to repay the debt that they owed Edaan for saving their criminal empire by aiding him as well.

 

“Perhaps.” Boba Fett, the current _Mand’alor_ , ruler of the Mandalorians, simply said before continuing, saying, “But let’s not forget that a good majority of the Senate, as well as the natives of Coruscant, don’t hold warm feelings towards Jedi and Mandalorians. It will take time for them to come to a decision, and we don’t have much of it right now.”

 

“What do you mean, Fett? According to the data sent over by Mirta Gev, her followers placed explosives on over twenty of Daala’s ships, including the _Chimeara_. Her invasion should be delayed by at least a month.” Corran Horn, Jedi Council Member, and member of the war council, said, wondering just how much the _Mand’alor_ knew that he was withholding from his supposed allies.

 

“Jaing sliced into the _Chimeara’s_ communication logs, and, according to the files that he acquired, Daala’s ordered all ships to be at combat readiness within a week. Any ship that isn’t ready will be mothballed, and the crews will transfer onto another working ship.” Boba explained to Corran, who despite their differences, had begun to develop a mutual respect of each other due to them being experienced warriors.

 

“Then we should debrief Mirta at once and see what kind of fleet that Daala is packing right now.” Jaden Korr said.

 

“Agreed, Jedi Korr. I’ll go myself to greet them myself.” Boba said as he went to prepare for the four shuttle’s arrivals.

 

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

Mirta was fortunate to have this Jedi on her side. Without him, there was little chance of her getting onto Mandalore without invading it, and, thanks to Edaan and Armand Vorn, and the latter was the son of Natasi Daala, that was the last thing that she wanted to do. That was why she had Armand, along with Dinua Jeban, with her in _Tydyrium’s_ _Vengeance_ in order to prove to Boba Fett that she had defected to his side, and wanted to make amends for her betrayal of his trust.

 

Of course, she brought her two children, Ralo and Bria Orade, along in order to further prove her sincerity of wanting to rejoin her family. But, despite all of her preparations, she was still as nervous as the protocol droid C-3PO was at a battlefield. What would she say to her grandparents and estranged husband when she saw them? Well, it was too late to turn back now, so she prayed to the _manda_ to provide her with guidance in this stressful situation.

 

As she sat in the backseat of the cockpit of the _Lambada_ -class shuttle, the pilot said to her, “Heads up, Commander. We’ve got company. It’s your old _Ba’buir_ and some of those _aruetiise_ medics.”

 

 _Oh, great._ Mirta thought as she nodded at the pilot. A few moments later, the four shuttles landed, and everyone quickly disembarked from their shuttles.

 

And, just like the pilot said, Mirta Gev’s grandfather, Boba Fett, was standing twenty meters from the four shuttles, along with a Keshiri female that Mirta could only assume was Edaan’s girlfriend, Adari Thayn, and four medics and eight of their assistants as well.

 

Realizing the need to move things along, Mirta slowly approached her leader and said, “ _Ba’buir_. It’s been a long time.”

 

“That it has, Mirta. That it has.” Boba stoically said. Noticing the two kids behind her, he said, “So, these are yours and Ghes’s kids, huh?” After receiving a nod from Mirta and her children, he said, “If they’re anything like you, they’ll grow up to be great mandos.”

 

“You’re Boba Fett.” Ralo said.

 

“Yes. What’s your name?” Boba asked.

 

“Ralo. This is my sister, Bria.” Ralo said, and Bria simply nodded at her name being mentioned.

 

“Strong names. Good, there’s power in names.” Boba said to his granddaughter.

 

“Do you have Edaan with you or not?” Adari quickly said, hoping to get the ball rolling and see her fiancé again.

 

“Edaan can speak for himself, thank you very much.” said a smug voice from the far left _Sentinel_ -class shuttle. Everyone turned to see a smiling Edaan Palpatine walk towards them, along with fifteen Mandalorians come out from each shuttle, along with thirty slabs of carbonite that Mirta assumed to contain the Galactic Alliance prisoners of Daala and Darth Caedus.

 

“Edaan!’ Adari shouted as she ran towards Edaan and kissed him fiercely, a kiss that Edaan immediately reciprocated.

 

“Not that we’re all glad to see that you’re alright, Jedi Palpatine, but maybe we should move this along. After all, we have many prisoners to thaw out and help recover from hibernation sickness.” One of the medics, an aging Bith who was a xenopsychiatrist by the name of Thalleus Tharn, who was made famous, or infamous, depending on a person’s preference, by striking Jedi Knight Sothais Saar in the groin in order to prove to the former Chief of State Daala that all of the Jedi under the influence of the immensely powerful Force user known as Abeloth were cured of the Force psychosis that was afflicting various Jedi.

 

After taking a moment to end the kiss with Adari, Edaan nodded his head as he, Mirta, Armand, Ralo, and Bria followed Boba Fett to the command center, while Doctor Tharn escorted Dinua, as well as the men under her command to the med bay, where the prisoners would be treated by the rest of the doctors under Jareal’s command.

 

As Mirta followed her grandfather into the city, she couldn’t help but marvel at how technologically advanced the city was: buildings were made of Durasteel and Transparisteel, the latest landspeeders buzzed over the streets, while off-duty soldiers went to various bars and restaurants that existed around the city. _To think that this place started as a redoubt for renegade clone troopers, Mandalorians, and civilians that were escaping Palpatine’s rule._ Mirta thought as she observed the city that was being built when she last stepped foot on Mandalore over eight years ago. After twenty minutes of walking, she came at the command center, a tall tower that, to Mirta’s eyes and amazement, appeared to be made entirely made of _beskar_.

 

She quickly followed Boba and Edaan into the tower, where Venku Skirata, Goran Beviin, Sintas Vel, two Jedi that Mirta recognized as Barratk’l and Corran Horn, a young Hutt that she suspected was Azzim Anjilic Atirue, a crime lord that was legendary for his dealings with Edaan and the rest of the Jedi Order, Admiral Gavin Darklighter of the Galactic Alliance, the holograms of Commodore Kral Nevil, also of the Galactic Alliance, and Admiral Traest Kre’frey of the Confederation, and finally, Ghes Orade, Mirta’s estranged husband, were meeting in order to discuss war operations and strategies.

 

It was Ghes that first noticed the new arrivals and his jaw immediately dropped agape as he saw Mirta come into the briefing room along with Boba, Edaan, Adari, Armand, and two children that Ghes could only assume to be his and Mirta’s. He whispered “Mirta” in a tone that was so soft that Mirta had to read his lips in order to know what he was saying.

 

As Ghes stared at the new arrivals as they walked to the briefing table, the rest of the leaders turned to see the seven new people walk towards them.

 

 _Well,_ Azzim thought as the new arrivals came up to the briefing table, _this should be interesting._

 

**And, that concludes the first full chapter of Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon. So, what did you think of this chapter? Tell me your honest opinion, as long as your criticism is constructive, of course. Anyway, I’m close to done with _Knight Errant_ , and from there, I’ll reread the Darth Bane Trilogy. Oh, and apparently, I got Ralo’s name wrong when I called him “Reylo”, and since it will take too long to change everything, I’m going to leave my third story alone. And, in case you were wondering, the action won’t begin until a week has passed in the Star Wars universe. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	3. Chapter 2

**What’s up, friends? How are you doing on such a gloomy day? Well, the weather’s gloomy where I am, but I’m sure that it’s better for most of you. Anyway, I am going to start rereading _Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction_ for the third time soon, and I am sure that I will enjoy it very much, even though if stars a notorious villain in the form of Darth Bane. Oh, and, minor spoiler alert: in this story, I will reveal who the Dragon Lord is, just in case anyone who has read this story hasn’t figured out who it is, though I doubt that the number of viewers is high. Oh, and I’ve just read the latest chapter of _Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five_ , and I feel terrible for Flash, even though he’s on the wrong side in the war. His wife, or girlfriend, as it is not clear which Iris is, got arrested for standing up to the Regime, he accidentally killed someone, and he lost the love of Iris. I hope that Iris can forgive him once he defects over to Batman’s side, and Superman is taken down. And, I’m just watched a video of the chapter 15 of Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire, and I thought that it was very epic, as it set the stage for a major battle between Arcann, SCORPIO, and the Outlander. Well, with all of that out of the way, I have one last piece of advice for you guys: please read and review both my stories, and the stories that are listed as favorites on my fanfiction.net page, as the stories that I’ve listed are beyond great. So, let’s get started. **

Ghes Orade could not believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was his estranged wife, Mirta Gev, who he had not seen in over eight years. Beside her were two young children who he assumed to be at least five to seven years old. _Could those be… our kids?_ he thought as Mirta smiled softly at him and nervously said, “It’s been a long time, _cyar'ika_.”

 

“Too long, Mirta.” Ghes agreed. “Am I correct to assume that those two small warriors behind you are our children?” he asked.

 

“Indeed.” Mirta said before turning to speak with her kids. “Ralo, Bria, say hello to your _buir_.”

 

“Hello, _buir_.” The two children nervously said simultaneously, unsure of what else to say to their estranged father.

His eyes softening at the sight of his children, he nodded and said, “Hi there. I’m Ghes Orade. I’m so glad to finally meet you guys.”

 

Suddenly, without any warning, Mirta threw herself to Ghes, her arms wrapping around his neck as she said while sniffling, “I’m so sorry, Ghes. I should have stayed by your side, not deserted the _Mando'ade_ to join a Sith and become her lackey just because of my needless grudge against _ba’buir_.”

 

“ _Cin vhetin_ , Mirta. You were just trying to find a way to get back home. The important thing is that you’re here to help us now.” Ghes comfortingly said, surprised by Mirta’s display of emotions, as she didn’t show such vulnerability to him except since their wedding day, and their night of passion afterwards.

 

“Wisely said, Ghes.” Edaan softly said, causing Mirta to calm down and put back on her stoic face as she separated herself from Ghes’s loving embrace.

 

“You’re a Jedi.” Bria said in wonder and fear.

 

“I am indeed, little one.” Edaan said with a smile on his face before adopting an inquisitive look as he continued, asking, “What exactly have you heard about Jedi?’

 

“That they were the enemies of the _Mando’ade_ , and to be stopped at all costs before they take over the galaxy.” Ralo explained.

 

After warmly chuckling for a few seconds, Edaan said, “That last one is a common misconception. As for the first one, both of our peoples have been at odds for millennia, but we’ve been able to unite in times of need. Just look at Rohlan Dyre, Canderous Ordo, Jincoln Cadera, and Fenn Shysa, just to name a few.”

 

Both children looked at the young Jedi in amazement in his knowledge of Mandalorian-Jedi-Sith history, while their parents were similarly impressed with Edaan’s reservoir of information.

 

“I hate to rush such a loving reunion, but there will be time for catching up later. Why don’t Bria and Ralo come with me, and they can come to get to know their great-grandmother, while their _buirs_ stay here for the war council?” Sintas said.

 

“Agreed.” Boba stoically said, even though on the inside, a torrent of emotions were rushing through his mind at the sight of his granddaughter and great-grandchildren a handful of meters from him. _I’m a great-grandfather._ he thought in amazement as he turned his mind back to the war council. “Well, with everyone now present, let’s get this war council underway.”

 

“ _Mar'e_!” Goran whispered, earning a chuckle from every Mandalorian, except Boba, as well as Edaan.

 

“How many forces did you bring with you, Mirta?” Boba asked.

 

 _Getting right to business, I see. I guess some things never change._ Mirta amusedly thought as she went to the holoprojector at the briefing table. Once there, she pulled up a holographic projection of her fleet. “The portion of Daala’s fleet that I was able to convince to desert is composed of one _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three _Keldabe_ -Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, the four _Republic_ -class cruisers, an _Assassin_ -class Corvette, a wing of _bes'uliiks_ , and two _Lictor_ -class Dungeon Ships. In addition, I brought sixty-five hundred Mandalorians to bolster your forces, along with the support staffs of each ship, giving you a much needed edge in support staff. Also, Breela was killed during the takeover of the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ , so that’s one less Jedi hunter to worry about. And, we managed to delay Daala’s invasion by at least a month by inflicting massive damage on Daala’s fleet, including her flagship, the _Chimeara_.”

 

“Good work, Commander Gev.” Boba said, causing Mirta’s eyes to widen for an instant at the new commission before composing herself.

 

“Thank you, _Mand’alor_.”

 

“We’ll need those reinforcements in a week, because Daala’s ordered all of her forces to proceed with the invasion a week from now.”

 

“What?! How can that be? We set off explosions on at least twenty ships, ranging from Lancer-class frigates to Star Destroyers. Her invasion should at least be set back by a month.” Mirta incredulously replied.

 

“Apparently, she’s so eager for blood that she’s ordering all ships to be at combat readiness in one week, and if they aren’t ready, they’ll be mothballed and the crews will be sent to other working ships.” A new, but very familiar to Mirta, female voice said. She turned around to see her former friend, Jaina Solo Fel, walking to the gathered crowd along with two of her Imperial Knights, surprising both Edaan and Mirta.

 

“Empress Fel? What in the _blazes_ are you doing here? I thought you would be at Bastion by now.” Edaan incredulously said.

 

“Nice to see you too, Edaan. I haven’t seen any action in a long time, so I figured that this would be a perfect reason to have a field test for my Imperial Knights, and I’d be here to help.” Jaina humorously said before turning her head and adopting a grave look on her face as she faced Mirta. “Good to see you back on the right side, Mirta. Better late than never, I guess.”

 

“You can’t imagine how I felt after being tortured by your brother, Jaina. He made me think that _ba’buir_ had betrayed me, and that I was all alone. It took Armand and Edaan to make me see otherwise, so you should be thankful that I’m here at all. Otherwise, I’d be trying to regain the trust of that barv, Daala.” Mirta retorted, not wanting to get into a verbal argument with Jaina, or anyone else, for that matter, but ready to defend herself and her choices if it came down to it.

 

Sensing the tension between the two women boiling to the surface, Edaan decided to interject himself into the standoff before things came to a head. “Okay, ladies, there’s no need for things to escalate. How about, after the meeting, you two can talk about matters like reasonable and very decent people? I’m sure that both of you can do that.” he suggested.

 

As both women traded daggers at each other, they both saw that infighting within the war council would only hinder their efforts to defeat Daala and the Sith, and acquiesced to Edaan’s request as they both said, “Fine.”

 

Once Mirta and Jaina took their respective positions at the briefing table, Fett began the meeting.

 

“All right. According to the reports that Jaing and Mirta sent us, Daala’s fleet has been significantly damaged, and her invasion has been set back by at least a week. That may give us the time that we need to get even more reinforcements our way.”

 

“What do you mean, Fett? Not to make this all about me, but I’ve used up all of my favors, and there’s no one else that I can think of that will help us without good cause.” Edaan questioned.

 

“The Confederation is sending a fleet of ten Bothan Assault Cruisers under the command of Admiral Traest Kre’frey, the Corellians are sending two of their Dreadnaughts to here, and the Chiss Ascendancy has agreed to consider sending us reinforcements, not to mention the massive weapons shipments that have arrived from Adumar. Kre’frey has been placed under the command of the Confederation’s reinforcements, and they should be here within a day. He’ll be joining the war council to represent the Confederation’s interests here, and Empress Fel will represent Imperial interests.” Boba explained, motioning to the hologram of the Bothan admiral, who nodded at Fett’s mention of his name, not at all annoyed by Edaan’s comment, and Jaina, who smirked amusingly at Edaan’s remark.

 

“What about the Galactic Alliance? Have they finally come to their senses after all of this time?” Edaan asked, surprised by the Confederation’s willingness to aid the Jedi after their history during the Second Galactic Civil War, and the Chiss Ascendancy after the Battle of Tenupe during the Swarm War.

 

“Senator Janek the White is informing Chief of State Dorvan of how you, Mirta, and Jaing found Caedus and Daala’s prisoners as we speak, but I doubt that they’ll send much aid. Too many senators still hate the Jedi and their allies. Kriffing idiots.” Gavin said, muttering a curse under his breath as he finished speaking.

 

“Considering all of the damage that the wars between the Jedi and Sith have caused over the last five thousand years, it’s not much of surprise. And, besides, as far as those bureaucrats are concerned, this is a ‘regional issue’ that’s beneath their notice, especially since we’re not a part of the Galactic Alliance.” Venku said.

 

“That’s exactly what Borsk Fey’lya’s position was on the early stages of the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and we all know how that turned out.” Edaan said, remembering the reports he read in the Jedi Archives about the Invasion, and all of the deaths that occurred because of that species.

 

“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait for Janek to come back with his report.” Goran pointed out. “Until then, we should prepare for Admiral Kre’frey’s forces to arrive, along with the potential Chiss reinforcements.”

 

“You guys managed to get the Chiss to consider an alliance with us?” Edaan asked. “I can’t decide if you’re master warriors or diplomats.” he continued in amazement.

 

“Don’t mock us, Edaan. We can be persuasive without violence when it comes down to it.” Boba said, chastising Edaan as he did so.

 

“Fair enough.” Edaan said, knowing that what Boba Fett had said was true.

 

_Meanwhile, On Coruscant, In the Chief of State’s Office_

“Are you serious, Senator Janek?” Wynn Dorvan, the fourth Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, or fifth, if one counted the co-reign of Cha Niathal and Darth Caedus, incredulously said as Senator Janek the White explained the situation on Mandalore to him.

 

“ _Completely. Thanks to Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine, we have recovered all of Daala and Caedus’s prisoners, including Commodore Turk Brand, Admirals Kir Vantai and Firmus Nantz, General Etahn A’baht, the space marines that stayed loyal to them, and Senators Ponc Gavirsom, Releqy A'Kla, and Ta’laam Ranth. Once they are thawed out and recover from hibernation sickness, we will have the aid of some of the best military and political minds that were in the Galactic Alliance._ ” Janek confirmed to Wynn.

 

After taking a moment to absorb the news that he just received, he said, “What do you want me to do, Senator? The Senate isn’t going to get involved in a matter outside the Galactic Alliance, and especially a matter that concerns the Jedi and Mandalorians. The Galactic Alliance Neutrality Act is still in effect, and it ties my hands until the rest of your constituents see the light.”

 

“ _I thought that that ridiculous act only covered the Lost Tribe of the Sith?_ ”

 

“It does, but the Anti-Jedi hardliners in the Senate have been trying to expand it to sever all ties with the Jedi and their matters.” Wynn explained to Janek, who had an exasperated look on his face as Wynn spoke. At least, it looked exasperated to Wynn, he found it hard to tell with Rodians.

 

“ _How can they be so blind?! Never mind. I don’t want to know. Look, Chief of State Dorvan, even if they won’t want to help the Jedi, they have to see that getting rid of Natasi Daala and her power-mad followers, by_ any _means necessary, is a vital part of restoring stability back to the galaxy, especially since we now know that she’s allied, even temporarily, with a hidden Sith order._ ” Janek said, knowing that he was treading dangerous ground by talking so negatively about the former chief of state that he still respected, but this was a time for brutal honesty, not dancing around the issue as so many of his fellow politicians

 

“They don’t see it that way. To many of the newer, less-experienced senators, Daala’s a symbol of order and stability, while the Jedi are viewed as the agents of chaos and discord. And to many of the older senators, they’re still being held responsible for the Swarm War and every war afterwards.” Wynn sympathetically explained to the irate senator.

 

“ _If they don’t stick their heads out of the sarlaac pit soon, there won’t be a free galaxy to worry about. Only by working together, Jedi, Galactic Alliance, and every other galactic government, do we have a true chance at stopping the forces of the Dark Side, regardless of what form they might take. Speak to the Senate. Convince them to send us aid that isn’t earned through backroom deals, but genuine action by the one of the few major governments in the galaxy._ ” Janek insisted, practically begging the chief of state for aid.

 

“I will do all that I can, Senator, but don’t go expecting too much from me. My word isn’t worth much weight in the Senate these days. May the Force be with you.” Wynn promised.

 

After taking a few calming breaths to center himself, Janek nodded and said “ _And with you, my friend._ ”

 

After that, both politicians ended the transmission, leaving Wynn to his thoughts.

 

“What are you going to do, sir?” Said a calm and collected voice said from the entrance to Wynn’s office.

Wynn raised his head to see the form of Desha Lor, a beautiful Twi’lek who had ably and more than competently served as Wynn’s Chief of Staff for nine years, his wife for six years, and had previously served him as his assistant during his time as Chief of Staff under Natasi Daala’s rule.

 

He simply smiled at the form of his wife as he said “Well, Desha, I’m going to do my best to help Senator Janek the White and his allies by giving them some much-needed reinforcements. Schedule an emergency Senate session for tomorrow at 0800 hours, and afterwards, schedule a meeting with Supreme Commander Bwua'tu at 1200 hours ton he same day.”

 

“At once, sir.” Desha dutifully said, leaving the office a second later to begin preparations. Wynn marveled at how levelheaded and collected Desha had come in the thirteen years that they had known each other. With that out of the way, he had to try to once again end the seemingly endless Sepan Civil War by sending a team of diplomats and a small army of soldiers to try and allay the fighting there.

 

 _May the Force be with all of those on Mandalore, for I fear what comes next if Daala and her allies win._ Wynn thought as he began to type a message to the head of Galactic Alliance Security, Garik “Face” Loran, requesting his aid in solving an engspice smuggling ring that was afflicting the people of Coruscant’s underworld, especially in the areas that have not been cleansed of their Vongforming.

 

**And, that’s a wrap for this chapter. First off, Sinrebirth, I am so sorry that I didn’t give you the credit that you deserved in the first chapter, it completely slipped my mind. Well, with that out of the way, let me explain a few things. Yes, making Wynn Dorvan and Desha Lor a married couple is a bit wild, but it seemed fun to do, so I just decided to do it. Oh, and I hoped that you enjoyed my further expanded dramatis personae, and I plan to use every one of the characters listed there. So, tell me what you thought of this chapter, as I very much need some constructive criticism right about now in order to keep me from going off the deep end. One more thing, I am about halfway done with the first book in the Darth Bane Trilogy, and it is amazing. Anyway, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on this website. Psyche! I know, I don’t usually joke around, but I’m in the mood for a little bit of fun. I hope that you’ve enjoyed all of the Expanded Universe references that I’ve made in this story, such as the ships, characters, planets, and so on. So, with that out of the way, what did you do today? I mowed my parents’ lawn and read over a quarter of _Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction_ , meaning that I only have less than a hundred pages left in the book. I will say this about Darth Bane, he might have been pure evil by the end of the first book in his trilogy, but he was a brilliant man. It’s a shame that the Old Jedi Order didn’t get to him first, or they might have still survived, but then again, the Yuuzhan Vong might have conquered the galaxy. I guess we’ll never know for sure. Anyway, now that you’re here, enjoy the latest chapter of my story, and always, please, please review. **

_Day 48 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_0740 Hours, in Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

Nothing but a deep blackness enveloped the consciousness of Releqy A'Kla. But then, a beyond bright light appeared, temporarily blinding her as she was thawed out of the block of carbonite that held her in virtual stasis for the past fifteen years. After she was carefully carried off of the floor and placed on an examination table, she was hooked up to a life-support machine in case the hibernation sickness had any negative effects on her health besides shivering and temporary blindness.

 

“Where- where am I?” she moaned out as her body felt the full effects of hibernation sickness.

 

“Just try to relax, Senator. You’ve been held in carbonite for over fifteen years, and you’re suffering from an intense form of hibernation sickness.” said a warm but strangely cybernetic female voice.

 

“Who are you?” she whispered out in pain.

 

“My name is Doctor Jarael Chantique, and I’m going to take care of you until you recover.” the voice said.

 

Despite her body wracked with shivers and pain, that name was familiar to the Caamasi, and, after a few minutes of searching through her jumbled memories, she recalled that Jarael Chantique was a renegade Iskalloni medic that, in addition to the rest of her family, was being hunted by the rest of her species for going against their rules by being humanitarians. What was she doing here? More importantly, what was _Releqy A’Kla_ doing here as well? Suddenly, as a new jolt of pain traveled throughout her system, everything came coming back with vivid clarity: her childhood, her time serving the New Republic, the death of her father, Elegos A’Kla, during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, her time as a Senator of the Galactic Alliance up to the Second Galactic Civil War, to her imprisonment in carbonite for being among the few to oppose Darth Caedus’s brutal reign. As her memories fully returned, she asked a series of questions. _Did the Jedi and their allies win the war? What is the state of the Galactic Alliance now? What about Darth Caedus?_

 

“Calm yourself, Senator, or you’re going to have an aneurism.” Said a soothing voice that Releqy recognized all too well. That voice belonged to her father’s longtime friend: Jedi Master Corran Horn.

 

“M-Master Horn? You’re alive? So, is it safe to assume that the Second G-Galactic Civil War is over, and the C-Confederation rules the galaxy, then?” Releqy inquired.

 

“No, Senator. The Galactic Alliance is still in power, and Darth Caedus is dead. Jaina killed him shortly after you were placed in carbonite.” Corran calmly explained.

 

After taking a moment to absorb this knowledge, Releqy asked, “How long have my comrades and I been in carbonite?”

 

She could tell, even with her temporary blindness, that Corran was debating whether or not to tell her this information. Suddenly, he grimly said, “Fifteen years, and those years have not been kind to the galaxy.”

 

“I want to share my _memnii_ with you, so I can know what has transpired in my absence.” Releqy said.

 

“Are you sure?” Corran said with concern lacing his voice.

 

“Yes. My mind and my faculties are fully restored, so I can withstand whatever it is that has transpired.” Releqy assured her longtime friend.

 

“Very well.” Corran acquiesced as he placed his hands on Releqy’s cheeks, and placed his forehead on hers. After a moment to establish the connection, the flow of memories came rushing in, and Releqy saw it all: the end of the Second Galactic Civil War, the threats of Natasi Daala as Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, Abeloth, and the Lost Tribe of the Sith, the Galactic Alliance turning its backs on the Jedi after all of the blood and effort spent in protecting it, and the twelve years of chaos that transpired afterwards. Finally, she saw a young Jedi Knight, Edaan Palpatine, the memories told her, leading an army of Galactic Alliance, Hapan, Imperial, Confederation, Hutt, Mandalorian forces, as well as various planets’ fleets and armies against Natasi Daala, her army of Mandalorians, corrupt soldiers, corporations, slavers, and territories, and her hidden masters, a new Sith order that lurked in the shadows while being led by a Sith known only as the “Dragon Lord.”

 

Once the link between the two was broken, Releqy took a deep breath to center her thoughts. After contemplating the news for a minute, she abruptly said, “What do you need me to do to help your cause?”

 

“For now, rest, Senator.” Corran said in an attempt to placate the Caamasi.

 

Unfortunately for him, she began to get up after Jarael removed her form the life-support machine. Corran was about to rebuke the doctor for allowing this, but Releqy raised a hand to stop any protests, and began to speak “That is unacceptable, Master Horn. Thanks to the _memnii_ transference, I can see again, and my strength is returning. I wish to meet with the leaders of this war effort, as well as Edaan Palpatine.”

 

“If you’re worried that Edaan is anything like his ancestor, don’t worry. Everyone here can vouch for his commitment to the Jedi Order and the light side of the force, even if he went against the Council’s wishes. He has a good heart, and is hell bent on-” Corran said before being interrupted by the senator.

 

“Saving the former Grand Lady of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, Vestara Khai in order to reunite her with her first love, Jedi Master Ben Skywalker.” Releqy finished, before apologizing, saying, “Forgive me, Corran, but I heard the meeting with the Jedi Council after the order’s encounter with him at Krant.”

 

“There is nothing to forgive, Senator. Very well, if you insist, I will take you to see the war leaders.” Corran said, seeing that his arguments would only further strengthen the resolve of the senator.

 

“Thank you for understanding, Corran. By the way, how are the rest of my comrades faring?” Releqy asked, concerned for her comrades.

 

“Last I heard, the last of the prisoners were thawed out of carbonite one hour ago. Out of all of them, Admiral Kir Vantai, General Etahn A’baht, and Senators Ponc Gavirsom and Ta’laam Ranth were showing the most signs of recovery. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to be able to lead again by the week’s end. Oh, and don’t worry, they’re being cared for by eleven of the best medics and xenopsychiatrists in the galaxy.” Corran said, motioning to Jarael and her assistant as he spoke and escorted Releqy to the war council.

 

_Fifteen Minutes Later, in the Command Center_

 

As Releqy and Corran made their way to the command center, and despite being a pacifist, she could not help but be amazed at how well-organized this army and fleet was, despite its diversity. Soldiers, medics, mercenaries, crime lords, volunteers, and even Anzati assassins were working together in near-perfect sync to prepare for the inevitable invasion that Natasi Daala and her forces would cause.

 

“How did the Jedi assemble such an army of this size?” Releqy said with astonishment and amazement.

 

“Actually, it was Edaan who set the stage for this army to come together. He and the members of his hand-picked crew called in all of their favors, and the official aid of the rest of the galactic governments, besides the Galactic Alliance and Chiss Ascendancy, of course, and formed the organization that is called the Shadow Alliance.” Corran explained.

 

“Shadow Alliance. A fitting name, given the origins of this organization.” Releqy said approvingly as the two people entered the briefing room.

 

Edaan was in the middle of observing Mirta and Ghes, who looked well-rested despite the “catching up” that they did last night, as well as Jaina talk about past accomplishments since the two women’s friendship fell apart after Darth Caedus’s death, while everyone else was engaging in small talk and troop and fleet deployments, which included Adari Thayn, Akku Sei II, Armand Vorn, Atai Molec, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Barratk’l, Boba Fett, Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti, Gavin Darklighter, Gorad Beviin, Jaing Skirata, Jaden Korr, Janek the White, Kral Nevil, Seha Dorvald, Syal Antilles Traest Kre’frey, Venku Skirata, and Voort sa Binring, sans Sintas Vel, who was spending time with her two great-grandchildren, when he saw Corran Horn and who he assumed to be former the Galactic Alliance senator Releqy A’Kla enter the briefing room. Seeing that the meeting would not begin for at least another three minutes, he walked over to the two latest additions to the war council. “Master Horn. Senator A’Kla, I presume.” He respectfully said, as he nodded his head to the former and firmly shook the latter’s hand.

 

“So, you are the Jedi that created such a powerful alliance. Edaan Palpatine, am I correct?” Releqy, remarked, impressed by this young Jedi’s skills in etiquette.

 

Adopting a lopsided smile, he humorously said, “That’s me. Now don’t wear my name out.”

 

“So you have a sense of humor. That’s good, it will help you in these dark times.”

 

“Am I correct to assume that you were brought up to speed on the current situation?”

 

“You assume correctly, young Jedi.”

 

“Good. Perhaps your arrival can convince the Galactic Senate to support our defense of Mandalore. Chief of State Dorvan is about to address the Senate, and we’ve got a direct comm link to the Senate Chambers, thanks to the Chief of State’s generosity.”

 

“Then I will be happy to offer whatever aid I can to convince the Senate to surpass their shortsightedness.” Releqy said, disappointed in her colleagues, but hopeful that they could be made to see reason.

 

After clapping his hands together in order to get everyone’s attention, everyone turned to face Edaan and the new arrivals. “All right, everyone. I hate to break this up, but before we prepare to face the Galactic Senate, I would like to introduce everyone to our latest ally in this war: May I present the… forcefully retired galactic senator: Releqy A’Kla.”

 

It was worth facing the anger and irritation of everyone present to see the shell shocked looks on everyone’s faces, except for Boba, whose face was concealed by his helmet.

 

“How the blazes did she recover so fast. What, do you Caamasi have liquid _beskar_ in your veins or what?” Goran incredulously said.

 

“Nothing so drastic, Goran Beviin. I just shared my _memnii_ with Master Horn, and it restored my sight and strength. Oh, and most of the rest of my comrades should be ready for duty by the end of the week, which is in three days, which is convenient, since Natasi Daala and her allies are going to invade Mandalore in six days.” Releqy calmly and humbly explained, causing everyone’s eyes to widen at her explanation.

 

“Well, it’s good to have you on the team, Senator.” Venku cordially said, before continuing, asking the following question. “Will your pacifistic views color your opinions on our preparations for war?”

 

“Not at all, Venku Skirata. Like my father, I understand that sometimes action is the only way to defeat evil, and in the case of the Sith and their minions, me and my allies will undoubtedly firmly stand with you and your noble cause. Oh, and just call me Releqy, since I don’t think that I’m a senator anymore.” she said, referring to her deceased father, Elegos A’Kla, who fought at the Battle of Dantooine near the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion.

 

“Fair enough. We were just about to watch Wynn Dorvan’s address to the Galactic Senate. It should be starting any minute now.” Mirta said as the logo for The Perre Needmo Newshour appeared. The daily show had aired since before the Abeloth Crisis, and was hosted by Perre Needmo, a male Chevin who vehemently opposed injustice in the galaxy, and was well-known for his honesty and integrity, as well as his pro-Jedi stance, a view that a good majority of the citizens of Coruscant did not share ever since the Lost Tribe of the Sith invaded Coruscant, and Abeloth caused immense devastation across the planet.

 

_Concurrently, On Coruscant, at the studio of The Perre Needmo Newshour_

 

Perre Needmo was nervous, which was common in this day and age, as he had to endure at least fifty assassination and murder attempts over the last decade for his support of the Jedi and their allies. But, like all true reporters, he stuck to his convictions and the truth, and the truth was in favor of the Jedi like almost always, unlike those mugwumps and _shuttas_ in BAMR News that slandered the Jedi and anyone who stood up for them with ridiculous accusations that no sane person would believe. That was why he silently prayed to the powers that be that this broadcast would go smoothly, as the Chief of State personally requested that it be broadcast across the galaxy.

 

After the last-minute sound check grooming, and technology examination to make sure that everything was in order, the green light came on in the sound booth, and he was on the news. “Good morning, citizens of the galaxy. It’s your old friend, Perre Needmo, here to bring you a brilliant and exciting story. Unlike my previous shows, we will not be focusing on the Jedi and their actions, or the troubles of the galaxy, but on the Galactic Senate, as Chief of State Dorvan himself has, for the first time in four years, allowed access to the Senate Chambers for an emergency session. So, let’s go inside for a closer look at the session, with another old friend, Shota Laar.”

 

_At the Senate Chambers_

 

 _If only Madhi could see me now._ Shohta Laar, a former Chev slave and now a famous reporter for detailing the remaining slaving practices still existing throughout the galaxy, thought as he smiled towards the camdroid that was facing him and said. “Thank you, Perre. Here we are in the Chambers of the Galactic Senate. Now, as you can see, the chambers resemble the same ones that were built after the Almaina Uprising, but destroyed during the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion and vongforming of Coruscant, and later rebuilt when the Galactic Alliance recaptured the planet two years later. Moving on, we can see the many senators gather for the imminent session, including U’Ta Divinian of Rosha and Jenna Sauro of Eeropha, who are to be noted for their… firm interpretation of the law.” Shota knew that he had to choose his words carefully here, as these two were among the most zealous anti-Jedi senators out there, and could order his censure from the media if he said anything that they did not like. He also knew that their ancestors, Bog Divinian and Sano Sauro, were also against the Jedi during the final years of the Old Republic, as well as the early years of the First Galactic Empire.

 

“And, if you look over here, you can see the senator from Sullust, Nien Wuul, who was one of the few survivors of his clan’s destruction following the… Disaster of Coruscant.” Shota continued, bowing his head and taking a moment to pay his respects for the deceased Senator who came before Nien, Luewet Wuul, who was the head of the Subcommittee on Mineral Taxation, a firm Jedi supporter, and was likely killed by the Qreph brothers about eleven years ago for his investigation into their affairs. Ever since Luewet’s death, Nien had proven himself to be an able, competent, and level-headed senator who had eventually taken his uncle’s position in the Senate.

 

“And over here- Oh, it looks like the Chief of State, Wynn Dorvan himself, has appeared, and is preparing to make his way to the center of the chamber. I’ll try to get a few words from the Chief of State, but it doesn’t look likely due to the throng of reporters and journalists surrounding him.” Shota said before beckoning for the camdroid to follow him. He slowly but surely maneuvered his way through the crowd before calmly approaching the Chief of State and said, “Good morning, Chief Dorvan. This is Shohta Laar from _The Perre Needmo Newshour_ , here to inquire what this emergency session is about.”

 

Wynn smiled at seeing Shota ask him professional questions, unlike many of the Chev’s so-called contemporaries that were only looking for a quick scoop or a conspiracy theory. “Well, Shota, I cannot reveal too much before the Senate session, but I can assure you and those viewing this channel that this session will cover a topic that should have been covered a long time ago. Any more would deprive the Senate of what they should hear without all of these good people looking over their shoulder, or your fellow reporters.” Wynn promised.

 

“Good to hear, Chief Dorvan. One more question. How is your wife doing in these turbulent times?” Shota said with just a hint of humor in his voice, recalling how Desha used to be so timid and afraid to speak her mind during her first years as Wynn’s assistant.

 

Continuing to smile, Wynn chuckled as he took no offense at the joke and said, “Chief of Staff Dorvan is doing just fine, thank you for asking.”

 

“Good to know. No more questions.” Shota replied before disappearing into the crowd.

 

Wynn Dorvan was in his element, waving his way through the increasing crowd of fans, reporters, and Galactic Alliance Security guards. After twelve years of being Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, he was used to the attention being directed his way, much of it negative for his stance on the matters regarding to the Jedi and their allies. Despite it all, he handled it with the grace of a Twi’lek dancer, maneuvering his way through the political quagmire that came from Natasi Daala and Abeloth’s madness as their rules as chief of state.

 

As he made it to the repulsorlift that brought him and his secret Jedi bodyguards to the rotunda where he would address the Senate. After settling in and waiting for the applause to die down, he began his address, saying, “My fellow senators and citizens, it is a privilege to be among you as a servant of the people. It has come to my attention that a crisis outside of the Galactic Alliance, threatens to boil over into our worlds. The war criminal and former Chief of State, Natasi Daala, has assembled an army of renegade Mandalorians, slavers, corrupt corporations, and the Corporate Sector under the name of Neo Death Watch, to take over the Mandalore Sector, and from there, take over the rest of the galaxy. Already-”

 

“I’m sorry, Chief Dorvan, but just where are you getting this information from?” Senator Sauro said, a skeptical look on her face as she spoke.

 

After taking a moment to consider his next words, he decided to tell the truth and say “From the Jedi, Fel Empire, Confederation, Hutts, and Mandalorians that remain loyal to their leader, Boba Fett!” He said, shouting by the end, as he had to make his voice be heard over the deafening sound of Senators, reporters, and civilians shouting and howling their outrage over the mention of the Jedi.

 

After everyone calmed down enough that the noise lowered down to whispering, Senator Sauro continued her questioning, saying, “And is this the reason why various fleet elements from Kuat, Rothana, and Dac have gone missing, including Commodore Kral Nevil, Admiral Gavin Darklighter, and Rogue Squadron, in order to support the Jedi and their clandestine efforts?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And do the Sith have anything to do with this sudden rise in Mandalorian activity?”

 

“There have been… rumors and whisperings of Sith involvement of this, yes, but at this point, that is irrelevant. The current matter is what we are going to do about the war criminal and former Chief of State, Natasi Daala.”

 

“Well, I am sorry, Chief of State, but if the Lost Tribe of the Sith are involved, our hands are tied due to the Galactic Alliance Neutrality Act, which prohibits us from getting involved in the war between the Jedi and Sith.” Senator Sauro said with mock sympathy.

 

“You may say that now, but you haven’t been affected by the Sith, Senator Sauro. According to the official reports, it was a Sith Lord that killed my predecessor, Senator Luewet Wuul, along with most of my clan.” Nien said.

 

“Forgive me for sounding insensitive, Senator, but I fail what that has to do with the current issue.”

 

“It has everything to do with the Sith, Senator. It only took one Sith Lord to kill Luewet. Now just imagine what an army of them could do and- oh, wait, we already have when so many of my constituents elected an entire tribe of Sith to rule the Galactic Alliance twelve years ago, not to mention the complicity that so much of the Senate didn’t oppose Caedus’s takeover of the Alliance about sixteen years ago!” Nien countered. After those words were said, total chaos erupted in the Senate chambers as the pro and anti-Jedi factions that had divided the Senate for over ten years began screaming at each other.

 

_Back at Kyrimorut, Mandalore, In the Command Center_

 

“Well, this is going well.” Mirta sarcastically said.

 

“I can’t believe this! The Senate isn’t even listening to Chief of State Dorvan and Senator Wuul; they’re just trying to bury their heads in the sand again! They’re just going to abandon all of those that came to help us!” Edaan practically screamed, the anger radiating off of him in waves that even a non-Force sensitive could feel.

 

“I know, Edaan, but there’s nothing that anyone can do about it.” Corran said, frustrated as well with the Senate’s inactivity.

 

Suddenly, an idea hit Edaan as hard as a hoverbus as he said, “Well, we’ll just see about that, Master Horn. Goran, patch me through to Chief Dorvan. Releqy, Venku, Mirta, Azzim, Armand, Traest, Ephin, come with me.”

 

“What are you up to, Edaan?” Venku said, intrigued by Edaan’s actions.

 

“If Dorvan can’t convince the Senate, then we will have to do so ourselves.” Edaan declared, surprising everyone present, and even impressing Boba Fett for this bold course of action.

 

 _Onboard the_ Chimeara, _in the Shogun System_

 

Natasi Daala was full of glee at the moment, which was so rare for her, so she was enjoying every second of the chaos that had consumed the Galactic Senate. They couldn’t agree on anything without getting into a verbal argument these days. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she said to everyone present, which included Captain Tors Remal, Moff Porrak Vansyn, Roly Melusar, Nash Windrider, Aurra Sing, Black Krrsantan, the twenty members of the Crimson Nova Chapter Guild, as well as the thirty members of the GenoHaraden, and the fifty Zeshion Sha that supported Daala in her crusade to rule the galaxy. _It won’t be long before this pointless war is over, and we can move forward with our plans, especially riding the galaxy of these blasted Force users that infect the galaxy._ She thought. It was a shame that she had to kill Wynn Dorvan and Boba Fett, though, as she still had a fondness for the two men due to Dorvan’s faithful service to her during her rule as Chief of State, and Fett for her dealings with the man. Oh well, everyone had to make sacrifices for the good of the galaxy, and these two people would give their lives for the greater good.

 

_In the Senate Chambers_

 

Wynn Dorvan couldn’t believe how far things had deteriorated during the first ten minutes of the Senate session, because he expected the session to last at least thirty minutes before tensions came to a head. This had to be a new record. As things seemed beyond repair, a beeping sound came from the terminal in the Rotunda. Hoping for a miracle, he checked the ID of the caller. Relieved, he called out “SILENCE!!!” That quickly ended the quarreling, as no one ever heard the Chief of State so angry. Wynn took a few breaths to calm his frazzled mind, and then said in an all-business tone, “We have a guest. I expect all of you to treat him with the utmost respect.”

 

With those words uttered, the chief of state opened a holonet call with Edaan, and many of the senators, reporters, and civilians began to grumble at the image of a Jedi before them. Wynn prepared himself for the inevitable outrage that was about to occur once Edaan fully introduced himself to the crowd.

 

“ _Senators, citizens of the galaxy._ ” Edaan cordially said, before taking a deep breath and continuing, saying, “ _My name is Edaan. Edaan Palpatine, and I am a Knight of the Jedi Order._ ”

 

After everyone’s mouths hung agape for a full minute, U’Ta Divinian hurriedly recomposed herself as she said, “I’m sorry. Did you just say that your last name was _Palpatine_? As in the same Palpatine that was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and turned the Old Republic into the First Galactic Empire?”

 

Only nodding, Edaan replied by saying, “ _Yes. He was my great-great-grandfather._ ” Once those words were uttered, the entire senate chamber was in a frenzy, with words like “ _sleemo_ ”, “ _schutta_ ”, “Sithspawn”, and so on were shouted by so many people. Most of the anger was directed at the young Jedi, but some of it was targeting Wynn Dorvan for allowing the descendant of the most infamous Sith Lord in recent history to speak before the Galactic Senate.

 

After sighing, Edaan shouted “ _QUIET!!!_ ” in a voice that seemed to echo over the chamber, intimidating everyone into silence, lest this Jedi would unleash some unknown Force ability on them if they said anything that he did not like. “ _Thank you._ ” he said when the last of the mutterings ended after two minutes. “ _First off, I want to assure everyone that I am nothing like my ancestor. I do not seek power, but I was forced to acquire it in order to effectively protect the galaxy._ ” he explained.

 

“I’m sorry, but what gives you the right to protect us? After all, you Jedi have gotten us into so many wars over the years, so I think that the galaxy owes your kind nothing.” U’Ta Divinian said in an arrogant and incensed tone, a sentiment that at least two-fifths of the Senate shared in murmured consent.

 

“‘ _Our kind_?’ _That is an interesting phrase. Let me show all of you something. Armand, could you come here please_?” He said, while beckoning for an unseen person to come into the picture. Soon enough, an image of a man in an Imperial captain’s uniform appeared. “ _Everyone, this is Armand Vorn, son of Natasi Daala, and a former captain of Neo Death Watch before deserting. Like me, he has to live with the stain of his family’s actions, and try to atone for the damage that his family caused. But, more to the point, I asked Armand to prepare something for me in preparation for addressing all of you._ ” He then pulled out a datapad, and began to transfer data over to each senator’s personal datapad.

 

“Excuse me, Knight Palpatine, but, what exactly is this? It’s just a list of names and numbers.” Nien asked as cordially as he could, given the revelation that was recently divulged of this Jedi’s heritage.

 

“ _Thank you for asking me in a calm and collected manner, Senator Wuul. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a list of names of every single prisoner that Natasi Daala has imprisoned over the last eleven years, and the numbers represent each prisoner’s midi-chlorian count of every person. If you scan through the list, you will find that over seventy-five percent of these people have a midi-chlorian count of at least five thousand, making them Force-sensitive. These records were found on Daala’s two_ Lictus _-class Dungeon Ships,_ _the_ Gorgon’s Revenge _and_ Sunspot’s Legacy _. Now, you’re probably thinking that this is just a coincidence, but I believe that Daala was experimenting on these prisoners in order to try to sever the Force from every person in the galaxy, like what happened with the Yuuzhan Vong over fifteen thousand years ago. Now, I know what you’re thinking, this is all just a wild conspiracy theory, but I have two witnesses, one of which is Armand, that can corroborate my suspicions._ ” Once again waving for someone to come into range of the projection, a Mandalorian with sandy yellow and gray armor came into focus. “ _This is Mirta Gev. Like Armand, she was a leader in Daala’s organization before deserting back to the true_ Mand’alor’s _side._ _She had served Daala ably since the Neo Death Watch’s founding, and was a witness to many of Daala’s atrocities. But, if you will not take my word for it, perhaps you will take hers._ ”

 

“ _Thank you, Knight Palpatine._ ” After clearing her throat, she began speaking. “ _What Knight Palpatine says is true. I had witnessed… many of her abominable experiments on Force-users, even on a dozen Jedi Knights that we captured for information on their missions, the Jedi Order’s structure, and similar details. In addition, Daala has recruited the infamous commander, Roly Melusar, who, like Daala, wishes that Force users did not exist, even those who have gone their whole lives without knowing of their abilities._ ” The angry mutterings began again, but this time, they were being directed at Admiral Daala and Senators Sauro and Divinian for their defense of said admiral time and time again.

 

“While this is all interesting, this proves nothing, young Jedi. These records could have been doctored.” Senator Divinian countered.

 

‘ _By all means, have a few data analyst look them over, and send some crime-scene investigators look over the missing people’s reports of the listed people that have gone missing over the last eleven years._ ” Edaan calmly countered. “ _In the meantime, I have a few other guests that would like to speak with you._ ” At those words being said, the holoprojector expanded, showing five additional figures, most of which were easily recognizable due to their honest and honorable reputations: Traest Kre’fey for his skills in helping defeating the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion; Azzim Anjilic Atirue for his honest dealings and legitimate businesses throughout Hutt Space, which was very surprising for an experienced Hutt lord; Ephin Sarreti, for his rare code of honor that was uncommon for a Grand Moff of the Empire; and the most surprising of all elicited a gasp from almost every person present, as they recognized the Caamasi in the holoprojection: Releqy A’Kla, who was imprisoned in carbonite during the end of Darth Caedus’s reign of the Galactic Alliance. The last figure was an unknown elderly man in Mandalorian armor that was composed of pieces of various designs.

 

“Very clever, but who is she?” Senator Sauro incredulously asked.

 

“I’m sorry, but who is whom?” Edaan asked.

 

“The Caamasi in front of us. She obviously is an imposter, as the real Releqy A’Kla was imprisoned in carbonite fifteen years ago by the Galactic Alliance Guard under Darth Caedus’s orders.” the Senator explained.

 

“ _I believe that the senator can speak for herself, as can the rest of my allies._ ” Edaan replied, stepping back and allowing the five figures to take the center of the projection.

 

“ _Thank you, Edaan. I can assure you that I am Releqy A’Kla. I, along with the rest of Caedus and Daala’s political and military prisoners, are safe on Mandalore, where everyone else is recovering from hibernation sickness. The only reason that I am up and walking is because of my species ability to share_ memnii _with Force-sensitives. It brought me up to speed on current events, and restored my sight and strength. And I must say that I am very disappointed with all of you. It is clear that most of you have placed you own petty desires above the Galactic Alliance that you swore to serve. You would deprive its citizens of a valuable ally in the fight against evil, just to satisfy your bloated pride. Your predecessors would be sickened if they saw what you had done with the government that they gave their lives to create._ ” Releqy said in a gentle rebuke.

 

“ _I agree with the former senator._ ” Treast concurred. “ _While I haven’t always seen eye to eye with the Jedi Order, I have always respected the good that they have done for the galaxy, and they deserve far more than just being abandoned like a used piece of flimsy, or a broken piece of technology._ ”

 

“ _Not to mention that the Jedi work for free._ ” Azzim humorously said, earning a series of chuckles from most of the people in the Senate Chambers. “ _They sacrifice their lives in pursuit of a greater good and ask for nothing in return. If more people in the galaxy were like them, we might not be in this situation._ ”

 

“ _And for those of you who think that Jedi are no different than the Sith, consider this: Which group has caused more harm to the galaxy, and which group has done more good to the citizens of the galaxy?_ ” Ephin said. “ _You can’t answer that, or you don’t want to for fear of damaging your fragile egos? How many of you respected or knew Gilad Pellaeon?_ ” he asked. In response, over three-quarters of the senators and four-fifths of the reporters and civilians raised their hands. Once Ephin looked around to see everyone, he softly smiled and truthfully said, “ _Good, then you know that he was a great admirer of the reformed Jedi Order, and supported their endeavors to bring peace and stability to the galaxy._ ”

 

“And what about you, Grand Moff Sarreti? What do you think of the Grand Admiral’s support of the Jedi?” Senator Wuul curiously asked.

 

After taking a moment to consider the question, the Grand Moff answered, saying, “ _Well, Senator Wuul, I believe that the Jedi Order is an organization that is worthy of our support. I mean, it was the Jedi who were integral in stopping the Yuuzhan Vong War and Swarm War from consuming the galaxy._ ”

 

“And what about you, Mandalorian? What do you think about the Jedi and us supporting their wars?” Senator Jenna Sauro frustratingly asked Venku, angry that the rest of the senators seemed to be contemplating the words that these people were saying.

 

“ _My name is Venku Skirata of Clan Skirata. And while I feel that the Jedi often interfere in matters that don’t need their intervention in order to be solved, and that Mandalorians should look after their own, I think that Edaan Palpatine is right about this one. If we don’t stand together against Natasi Daala and this new Sith order that is lurking in the shadows, stoking tensions across the galaxy in order to divert attention away from them as they grow in strength, then they will take us apart, one organization, government, and culture at a time._ ” Venku said in a foreboding tone.

 

Once Venku finished speaking, everyone in the Senate Chamber, except Senators Divinian and Sauro as they simply crossed their arms and sent venomous glares at Edaan, began clapping in respect to what these people said.

 

“Thank you, all of you for those passionate words. Now, with those words said, I would like to put a motion on to the floor: To repeal the Galactic Alliance Neutrality Act that prohibits the Galactic Alliance from aiding the Jedi in the fight against the Sith.” Wynn proposed.

 

“I second the motion!” Senator Wuul said.

 

“And I third it!” Said Senator Reni Coll of Klatooine said, earning a round of applause from most of the Senate.

 

“Then let us vote on this historic motion.” Wynn Dorvan passionately said.

_One Hour Later_

 

“It is my great pleasure to announce that, with only twenty votes to oppose it, that the Galactic Alliance Neutrality Act has been repealed. A fleet will be went to the Mandalore system by the week’s end to bolster the Mandalorians and their allies in an attempt to capture and bring Natasi Daala in for trial for her crimes.” Wynn said, causing the Senate to go into an uproar with applause. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I have a meeting with Supreme Commander Bwua'tu at 1200 hours today.”

_Meanwhile, On the_ Chimeara’s _Bridg_ e

 

Everyone, even Aurra Sing, was trying to assist Admiral Daala as she began blasting every Zeshion Sha within her range as they began a revolt against Daala in response to the news that Edaan Palpatine delivered. Already, twenty-five Zeshion Sha had been slaughtered, but five GenoHadaren assasins and seven Crimson Nova Guild bounty hunters were killed. Black Krrsantan was tearing the limbs off of two Zeshion Sha warriors, but had several blaster injuries on his back that nearly killed him if he wasn’t on an adrenaline rush at this moment. After ten minutes of fighting, all of the Zeshion Sha were butchered, and only ten GenoHadaren assasins, fifteen Crimson Nova Guild bounty hunters, Aurra Sing, Black Krrsantan, Belok Rhal, Nash Windrider, and Roly Melusar remained of Daala’s Jedi hunters.

 

“So, what happens now, Admiral?” Nash quietly said to anyone in the room.

 

“Nothing has changed, Commander. We are going to destroy the cursed Jedi and their allies, take over the galaxy, and rid the universe of the blasted Force once and for all.” Daala venomously said before ordering a cleanup crew to dispose of the corpses by dumping them into space.

 

_Meanwhile, at Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

 

“Well done, Edaan. I’m impressed by your skills as a leader.” Boba Fett said as everyone else in the room celebrated at the news that the Galactic Alliance was sending aid to the Jedi and their allies.

 

“Thank you, _Mand’alor.”_ Edaan simply said as he went back to making out with his fiancé.

 

After separating to take a deep breath, he said, “So, when do you want to have the wedding, beloved?”

 

“Well, I was thinking about what you said, and you were right. We could die at any moment, so I want us to tie the knot before it’s too late. So, how about in two days?” Adari suggestively said.

 

Edaan beamed at the suggestion, and responded by kissing her fiercely on the lips.

 

 _Well, I guess that answers my question._ Adari gratefully thought as she continued kissing Edaan.

 

**Wow! That was, by far, the Longest chapter that I’ve ever written. And to think, I only wrote it in four measly days. What a record for me. Anyway, I’m sure that many of you are wondering why the Galactic Senate quickly changed their minds so quickly, but, like I said in a previous story, Edaan has Meetra Surik’s ability to connect with other people, and he and the other people that addressed the Senate appealed to the people’s better nature, and, except for Senators Divinian and Sauro, who I made up due to their ancestor’s actions during the _Jedi Quest_ and _The Last of the Jedi_ young readers book series, and their supporters, the rest of the Senate was able to see past their prejudices and work for the greater good. Now, who will come to the Shadow Alliance’s aid, you’re wondering. Well, that’s a surprise that I have in store for later. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed, as we are getting closer to the action. Oh, and I may have to change this story rating to M rated, due to some suggestive material that I may include. Just try and guess what it is, I dare you. Anyway, May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello, my loyal readers. So, surprised to see me again so soon? Well, don’t be, as I don’t have much to do for school during the summer, which means that I have a load of free time on my hands in order to work on my stories. Anyway, I forgot to tell you at the end of my last chapter which book I’m on at this moment. I am currently on _Darth Bane: Rule of Two_ , and I am about two-thirds of the way done with the book. Well, with that out of the way, tell me how are you enjoying my stories? Be honest, as long as your words are explained without rancor or venom, as I will not like it if you insult me or my work, since I put a lot of time and effort into creating this saga and characters. So, with all of the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get started on this story, because I am eager to write the next chapter, and I’m sure that you’re eager to read it.**

 

_Day 48 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation_

_On Corucsant, In the Supreme Commander’s Office_

 

Nek Bwua'tu was in his element right now. After twelve years of being forced to sit behind a desk giving orders after he assisted the Jedi in destroying Abeloth, well, as much as anyone without the Mortis Dagger in their hands could destroy her, he had been eager for a challenge. And, thanks to Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine, as well as the allies that he had assembled, and their charismatic speech, he was being provided with a puzzle. He had decided to personally lead the fleet that was assembling in order to capture his former lover, the deposed chief of state Natasi Daala, destroy her Neo Death Watch movement, and eradicate this new Sith order that had cropped up during these years of chaos.

 

He had quickly assembled a fleet from the Galactic Alliance’s Sixth and Fifth Fleets, along with his flagship, the Super Star Destroyer, the _Megador_. The fleet was composed of, in addition to the _Megador_ , eight _Galactic_ -class Battle Cruisers, ten _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, three _Interdictor_ -class Cruisers, ten _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, six _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, five Star Galleon-class Frigates, and five MC90 Capital Ship cruisers. In addition, two brigades of Void Jumpers, the elite military units within the Galactic Alliance Marines, which were personally loyal to Bwua’tu, were accompanying him to bolster the Mandalorians with much-needed ground troops.

 

“ _So, when can we expect your arrival, Bwua’tu?_ ” Boba Fett asked.

 

“In about two to three days, Fett.” Nek answered bluntly. “We have some last-minute preparations for the ships and ground troops, but we’ll be ready to jump into hyperspace within three hours. You have my word on that.”

 

“ _Is your word really much, considering how you were willing to work for two despots and madmen?_ ” Boba said, baiting the supreme commander into displaying emotion.

 

Besides his fur ruffling for a few seconds, Nek showed no anger or offense at the jibes, and instead responded by saying, “I swore an oath of _krevi_ to the Galactic Allaince, not the people that rule it, Fett. I was willing to go behind the backs of Caedus and Daala in order to do what was best for the government that I serve, just like you were willing to double-cross the Yuuzhan Vong, who, according to my memory, contracted you to sabotage the galaxy’s defenses to ease their invasion, in order to protect your people and sector of space.”

 

Boba simply glared at Nek through his helmet in the holoprojector, and simply said, “ _You did your homework, Bwua’tu._ ”

 

“I work well with the Director of Galactic Alliance Security, and we often share information when involving potential and actual threats. You were listed in the top ten.” Nek answered truthfully, knowing that lies will only aggravate the Mandalore.

 

“ _The top ten? I thought that, since I command a massive army of lethal mercenaries at my disposal, I’d at least rank in the top five._ ” Boba said, faux-offended.

 

After chuckling for a few seconds, Nek turned serious, and said, “Regardless of what you believe, may the Force be with you.”

 

“ _We’ll take any advantage that we can get, what with Daala’s fleet only five days away._ ” Boba said before signing off, leaving Nek alone with his thoughts. _I think that this is going to be a_ good _week._ Nek thought as he moved to speak with his second-in-command of the official Galactic Alliance fleet, General Keyan Farlander, an excellent officer who had served the Galactic Alliance, New Republic, and Rebel Alliance for decades. In addition, he had served as a member of Luke Skywalker’s restored Jedi Order for around two decades before, along with his late fellow fleet officer, Madurrin, resigning from the Jedi Order during the Swarm War in order to fully serve the Galactic Alliance.

 

_Meanwhile, at Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

 

Edaan was in full work mode right now, busy with directing fleet and army preparations, provisions distributions in order to prepare for the upcoming siege, and going over any last-minute adjustments for the plan in defending Mandalore from Daala’s assault. After he returned to Mandalore with a sizeable fleet of reinforcements, he had been chosen to replace Adari Thayn as a member of the war council, which now included Jaina Solo Fel as the Imperial representative, and Armand as the representative of the deserters of his mother’s fleet. He was completely engrossed in his work to not sense his second-in-command, Akku Sei II, an Anzati who was also a rare captain of a thirty-man team of Mandalorians, as well as one of Edaan’s most trusted companions and confidants, walk up behind him and tap his shoulder. Edaan gasped at the interruption of his thoughts, and swirled around, only to sigh in relief once he saw who was attempting to talk with him. “Oh, Akku, it’s you. What can I do for you?” he asked.

 

“Just checking up on the last half of the soon-to-be married couple” Akku said with a leer in his eyes as he spoke.

 

“Ha, ha. Very funny. Now, what are you _really_ here for?” Edaan sarcastically said before getting serious.

 

“I have something to tell you, and you won’t like it.” Akku said, his tone completely serious.

 

“What is it, old friend?”

 

“I… I told _Mand’alor_ about your… special talents in the Force.” Akku hesitatingly said, causing Edaan’s jaw to go slack with shock.

 

“When?” Edaan whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder, he would bellow his outrage at this betrayal of his trust, and possibly attack his old comrade.

 

“During your capture with Natasi Daala. I also told him about the Dragon Lord just before the mission to Mandallia, as long as I’m being completely honest.” Akku admitted.

 

“Because of your loyalty to your leader?”

 

“Precisely.” Akku confirmed. “How mad are you, Edaan?”

 

After taking in a few calming breaths to ease his nerves, and remembering the lessons the Qui-Gon Jinn taught him about feeling emotions, and then letting them go, he said “Very. But, if I’m being completely honest, I might have done the same thing if I was in your position.”

 

As Akku breathed a sigh of relief, Edaan continued, saying, “Don’t get to comfortable, Akku. I’m still very mad at you for betraying my trust, so you have to work hard to get back those points with me, and- Wait, if Fett knows that I commune with three of the most hated Jedi in Mandalorian history, then why am I still alive?”

 

“Because you’re still needed in order to help repel Admiral Daala’s fleet and take the fight to the Sith. Without you, the Shadow Alliance falls apart.” Akku said, recalling the words that Boba used in order to describe Edaan: _“Edaan might be a Jedi, but he’s a Jedi with a Columi’s brain. Both think much faster than ordinary beings, and come up with brilliant strategies in order to defeat their opponents. And, he’s become very popular with many of the clans and their members. That’s why I’ll reserve judgment on him until the war is over. After that, I’ll probably try to kill him for business, but things could change in that time period.”_ Akku remembered Boba saying those exact words.

 

“Good to know that I’m still needed, because there’s no way in all of the Nine Corellian Hells that I’m gonna die before I see my quest through.” Edaan quipped in order to avoid the twinge of fear that was evident in his voice.

 

“I don’t doubt that, Edaan. Don’t worry, I only told _Mand’alor_ and Goran, and they agreed to keep the secret since it suits them.” Akku said in an attempt to placate his friend.

 

“Well, I guess it’s only fair, since Jaing figured it out and kept the secret for me.” Edaan said, causing Akku’s eyes to widen for a second before they returned to their normal positions.

 

“He did, huh? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. He always was one of the best slicers in the galaxy.” Akku remarked, before deciding to change the conversation, saying, “So, have you two lovebirds written your wedding vows yet?”

 

“No, because we’re going to do a traditional Keshiri wedding, and they’re short and a little primitive, but romantic and meaningful.” Edaan explained to his friend.

 

“Ah. Short, sweet, and to the point. Just like Mandalorian wedding vows. I like it.” Akku remarked as they walked throughout the base, effecting whatever changes that were needed to improve the defenses of Kyrimorut for the invasion that would occur in five days.

 

*

 

Adari Thayn was in a fighting stance, circling her opponents, Sintas Vel and Mirta Gev as they each circled the other as they prepared to attack, while Ralo and Bria Orade watched with keen and analytical eyes.

 

“So, how goes the family bonding?” Adari said to no one in particular.

 

“Well, _ba’buir’s_ his stoic self, so, not much has changed there.” Mirta replied, before continuing, saying, “Ghes and I have caught up a bit, so we’re doing pretty good right now. And the kids have been getting along well with their father and great-grandmother.”

 

“Hey, ‘the great-grandmother’ can speak for herself, thank you very much.” Sintas said in an offended tone that no one took seriously as each women laughed, as both of the other women knew that she was joking.

 

Once the laughter died down, the three women charged at each other, each woman shrewdly threw punches and kicks at each other in order to get them on the ground. But, after ten minutes of fighting, skillful maneuvering on each fighter’s part, and each fighter’s unique styles of fighting, no one was down, and the three warriors had plenty of energy to spare. After realizing that no one would win the sparring match, they stopped fighting and began talking like three schoolgirls at a local cantina.

 

“So, how is your groom-to-be?” Mirta conspiratorially asked.

 

“He’s doing fine. Right now, he’s helping prepare Kyrimorut’s defenses for the inevitable attack by that lunatic, Daala.” Adrai truthfully answered, not understanding the meaning behind Mirta’s tone.

 

“Uh… I don’t think that’s what Mirta meant, Adari.” Sintas said as both Mandalorians smirked at the Keshiri woman in front of them.

 

“Then, what do you-” Adari asked as the answer hit her like a durasteel pole. She immediately said, “Oh, no, no, no. We’re saving that for after our wedding. It’s a tradition on my planet, and I want to keep my culture and customs alive. Edaan happens to agree with me on that part.”

 

“Oh. Well, I can respect that. I just thought that with how open you are with your affections with Edaan that you guys weren’t virgins. My bad.” Sintas said in an apologetic tone as she and Mirta walked over to Ralo and Bria.

 

“Not that it’s any of my business, but, aren’t your kids a little too young to be talking about this topic around them?” Adari asked in a curious tone.

 

“What, you mean that you didn’t know that we Mandalorians marry young? We tend to marry around the ages of thirteen to sixteen in order to have children before we die in combat so our culture doesn’t die out. Well, that, or we adopt them. It’s one of the _Resol’nare_.” Mirta said, surprised that her newfound comrade and possible friend, as both women quickly found out that they had a lot in common despite their different backgrounds, did not know this essential part of Mandalorian culture, despite spending almost two months working with them.

 

“I did not know that. Well, I still find that a little awkward, no offense.” Adari honestly said.

 

“None taken, Adari. So, what does a Keshiri marriage ceremony entail?” Sintas asked, genuinely curious as to what was going to occur on the next day.

 

“Well, it involves a shikkar, a private room, and bandages, now with bacta salves since my people learned about bacta. And that’s all that I’m going to say on the matter.” Adari cryptically revealed.

 

“Ooh, mysterious. I like it.” Mirta gleefully said.

 

“Anyway… are you girls ready for the Second Mandalorian Civil War to be over, and for the hunt for the Dragon Lord to begin?” Adari asked.

 

“Oh, yeah. A lot of my people, including myself, are eager to hunt for Sith blood again, and this will give us the perfect reason to go nuts. And, to top it off, if we succeed in this war, we’ll be galactic heroes and celebrities, and probably get a bunch of new hunts and contracts in as a result.” Mirta merrily said, surprising her grandmother and newfound friend.

 

“Glad to see that you’re thinking big. Maybe you should be the next _Mand’alor_.” Adari said, causing Mirta to blanch at the thought of taking her grandfather’s place as ruler of the Mandalorians.

 

“No thanks. Being a commander is enough responsibility for me.” Mirta fearfully said after suppressing a shudder.

_Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Nossor Ri

_In Orbit Above Mandalore_

 

As the three women continued to talk about the future, Atai was briefing his one thousand-man army on the situation.

 

“All right, men. Listen up, because I’m only going to say this once: Admiral Natasi Daala has assembled a formidable fleet of ships, renegade Imperials, Mandalorians, corporations, bounty hunters, and… Zygerrian slavers.” Upon hearing those last two words, many of his soldiers and royal guards began to murmur among themselves, and Atai cleared his throat in order to draw their attention back to him. “Now, I have no doubt that many of these people were your former brothers-in-arms, but they made their choice, and I expect each of you to follow the oaths that you swore when you took up arms as soldiers and royal guards. We have five days until Admiral Daala arrives to invade the Mandalore system, and I have sent each of your squads your designated locations as to where you will be when the admiral arrives. Any questions?”

 

After a resounding silence, Atai said, “No? Good. Dismissed.” With those words said, his men departed the _Nossor Ri_ in shuttles in order to get to their assigned positions throughout the planet. As Atai was left alone to contemplate the inevitable casualties that would result from this battle, he did not notice a certain Patrolian and Yuuzhan Vong sneak up behind him.

 

“You know, if the two of us were assassins that were sent by Daala, you would be dead right about now.” The Patrolian said.

 

Once those words were said, Atai whirled around to draw out his blaster, only to find two of his allies in Edaan’s quest to redeem Vestara Khai: Robonino and Vua Rapuung, who were smirking like lunatics as Atai faced them.

 

“Oh, it’s you two.” Atai groaned out as the adrenaline rush began to fade as quickly as it came. “Don’t you two have responsibilities to handle?” he continued.

 

“I just finished briefing all of our bounty hunters from Rodia on how to assist the fighter squadrons and armies during the upcoming battle, and Vua here just finished instructing a class of volunteers on hand-to-hand combat, so we were pretty much free. That was a good briefing that you gave, short, and to the point.” Robonino said as Vua nodded at his name being mentioned.

 

“Thanks. I just hope the men and women under my command can follow through with their oaths. Many of the slavers were once their comrades and friends, and I can only imagine how much turmoil that they’re going through right now.” Atai grimly said.

 

“I hear you, buddy. A lot of the crime lords, mercenaries, and bounty hunters aren’t too fond of going up against Mandalorians, even traitors like the Neo Death Watch.” Robonino sympathetically said, understanding his friend’s position.

 

“I just wish that more of my brothers on Rodia could be here, but I understand Edaan’s reasons for keeping the rest of my fellow Yuuzhan Vong warriors off of Mandalore, there’s still a lot of hatred between the two cultures.” Vua said in understanding.

 

“We all have to make sacrifices for the greater good, Vua.” Atai ruefully said. “So, I guess, in a way, we’re all in the same boat.”

 

“Too true. So, what do you say that we head down to a cantina back on the planet and get so drunk that we vomit the alcohol up before the big day? I hear that the Mandalorians make a sick cup of _kri’gee_.” Robonino said.

 

“Sure, I’ve got nothing better to do. How about you, Atai?” Vua said as he walked with the others to the Second Chance, which was docked in Hangar Five of the _Nossor Ri_.

 

“I don’t know, I mean… I’ve got a dozen reports to handle before the day is over, and I don’t want to get drunk.” Atai hesitatingly said.

 

“Come on, man! There’s a time to be serious, and a time to have fun. With the invasion coming up in five days, any one of us, including Edaan and Adari, could die, and I won’t die without having the time of my life.” Robonino insisted.

 

“Oh, Okay.” Atai said, relenting before saying, “But just one glass. I still have those reports to handle before the wedding.”

 

“You’re no fun.” Robonino whined as the three friends walked towards Edaan’s ship to go to Keldabe.

 

Meanwhile, at Kyrimorut, In the Command Center

 

“ _Mand’alor_! We intercepted a transmission from Daala’s fleet to Coruscant.” Jaing Skirata said to Boba Fett.

 

“Did you manage to record and decrypt it?” Boba asked.

 

“Would I have told you if I didn’t?” Jaing said faux-offended.

 

“Just play it.” Fett said, slightly annoyed by Jaing’s chipper tone.

 

“You’re the boss.” Jaing said as he and his team of slicers completed decrypting the transmission, revealing the holographic forms of Natasi Daala, Roly Melusar, Belok Rhal, Jenna Sauro, and U’Ta Divinian.

 

“ _The two of you have gravely disappointed me._ ” Daala gravely said.

 

“ _It wasn’t our fault! That blasted Jedi wasn’t supposed to have swayed over the Senate like that. It’s like he had some kind of hold over them._ ” U’Ta said, not wanting to suffer the legendary wrath of Daala.

 

“ _Indeed. Perhaps if your security was better, or you screened your people more carefully, Mirta Gev, Edaan, Jaing, and_ your own son _would not have escaped and wounded your fleet._ ” Jenna said. Before Daala could snarl out something expletive, Jenna raised her hands in a peace-making gesture, saying, “ _But, fear not. We still have the support of twenty influential worlds and their senators, and those fleets, fighters, and warriors are at your disposal, as we have made sure that those forces have seen the light on the Jedi and their warmongering ways._ ”

 

“ _What worlds are you talking about?_ ” Daala said, appearing more than a little hopeful at the prospect of reinforcements.

 

“ _Metalorn, Bespin, Ukio, Apatros, Foerost, and fifteen similar worlds and their senators._ ” Jenna truthfully said, causing Boba to narrow his eyes at this news.

_Well, so much for a quick and bloodless victory._ He mused as he continued to listen to the recording.

 

“ _Excellent. Send all of those fleets to the rendezvous point, and have them converge with my fleet. Oh, and senators, I expect each of you and your colleagues to be there for the first of many battles against the galaxy._ ” Daala declared.

 

“ _I see. Very well, we will be there to assist you in your successful invasion of Mandalore. In return, we want what you promised, Admiral._ ” U’Ta said in a resigned tone, knowing that there was no way of getting out of this arrangement.

 

“ _I am a woman of my word, Senator. I always reward my loyal allies._ ” Daala promised, though Boba could practically see through the false smile.

 

 _I bet you do, Daala, just like how you were going to reward that_ hu’tuun, _Getelles, for supporting your takeover of the Galactic Empire._ Boba thought as the transmission ended, now regretting all of the business that he did with that lunatic.

 

“Inform every war councilor but Edaan that there’s an emergency session. I don’t want to stress Edaan out before his wedding. He can hear about this after he and Adari fully tie the knot.” Boba ordered Jaing, who was quick to schedule a meeting with the others.

 

 _Let’s hope that Bwua’tu, Commenor, and the Chiss can come thorugh with those reinforcements, because I think that we’re going to need them._ Boba thought as, after ten minutes, the members of the Shadow Alliance’s war council, without its founder, arrive.

 

**And, that’s a wrap! The next chapter will include plenty of romance, so be prepared for a lot of mushy stuff. I have to admit, I was originally going to leave Daala without any reinforcements, but I realized that in order to make this battle believable, and action-packed like I promised, Daala was going to need some more allies, and., let’s be honest, who better than a bunch of corrupt senators and their military allies? Anyway, I am on _Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil_ , I am about halfway done with it, and let me just say that Darth Zannah morally sickens me due to the depths that she will go to in order to serve the Sith. That said, Vestara will be very evil when Edaan sees her again, but I will not give up in my quest to redeem her, as that is most of the reason why I’m doing this story. One more thing, do you guys think that Edaan and Adari should be making love onscreen after the wedding, or should it just be mentioned in passing? Feel free to be honest in your opinions, as I need some input. May the Force be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, y’all. What’s going on in all of your lives? Not much for me, but I’m just at my home, relaxing for a while. Anyway, tell me what you think of my story in reviews, as long as whatever you have to say is constructive, and not insulting. I hope that all of you are enjoying my story, since I know that at least a few people have enjoyed my stories in the past. By the way, I’m still on _Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil_ , but, unfortunately, after that, I’m going to take a break from Star Wars books in order to read some religious, political, and historical books. I’m tempted to tell you what they are, but I don’t want anyone to negatively judge me based on my beliefs, religious or political. And, is it just me, or is what I’ve seen of _Teen Titans GO!_ just plain ridiculous beyond belief? I mean, seriously, in my eyes, it’s an abomination of all that the original _Teen Titans_ show stood for, and it represents just how far Cartoon Network has fallen in my eyes. So, with all of the pleasantries out of the way, what do you say that we get started on the big day for two of our protagonists? Oh, and Electircboa, this chapter will references one of your ideas, so I’m just giving you a heads-up. I hope that it is okay that I’m using your idea, I just couldn’t think of anything plausible for a Keshiri wedding between the two protagonists. Well, let’s get started on another exciting chapter for this story. One last thing, I’m still not sure if the two characters should be seen making love onscreen, so I think that I might pull a scene from Exodus: Gods and Kings. For those of you that have seen the movie, just try and guess what it is. Okay, let’s get started!**

 

_Day 49 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation 1000 Hours_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

Edaan Palpatine was positively giddy right now. In three hours, he would be married with his fiancé, Adari Thayn, a Keshiri woman that had claimed his heart four years ago during the Jedi Order’s Invasion of Kesh. Together, he and her band of rebels had been crucial in driving the remnants of the Lost Tribe of the Sith out from Kesh and into exile. Ever since then, the two have been planning to go after the Grand Lady of the Sith, Vestara Khai, in a bold attempt to redeem her, a move that took a great deal of convincing on Edaan’s part in order to persuade Adari over to his way of thinking, as well as building a bond of trust and love that would soon culminate in a great consummation of passion and love, and a Mandalorian celebration of the two’s union, not necessarily in that order.

 

That was why Edaan was putting on the best Jedi robes that he had, which were, to be honest, a bit plain, but it represented Edaan’s affiliation to the Jedi Order. Of course, as Keshiri tradition dictated, Edaan could not see his bride until the actual wedding, which would be short and to the point, much similar to the Mandalorians and their weddings. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he barely sensed his male friends, in the forms of Akku. Robonino, and Atai, with the exception of Vua due to him being a Yuuzhan Vong, and as a result, he could not be sensed in the Force, so he could only rely on his sense of smell to tell that Vua was with the others, appear behind him. “What can I do for you guys?” he calmly asked despite his rapidly beating heart threatening to burst out of his chest in anticipation of what was to come.

 

“Just hoping to see the blushing groom before the big moment.” Robonino colloquially said.

 

“Very funny, Robonino. Why don’t you tell me what you all are really doing here?” Edaan said through a glare.

 

“We came to bring you a gift, courtesy of _Mand’alor_ and his ex-wife.” Akku explained, causing Edaan’s eyebrows to raise in suspicion and curiosity as Vua brought in a huge container and laid it next to the young Jedi. He hesitatingly opened it to find an ancient set of Jedi combat armor that resembled the Jedi Master Ven Zallow’s uniform during his final battle with the Sith Lord Darth Malgus during the Sacking of Coruscant at the end of the Great Galactic War. Upon inspecting the armor, he found a sheet of flimsi inside, and on that sheet was the words _With fondest regards. We found it during a mission at Obroa-Skai, and just had it resized to fit you for your wedding and the invasion. It should hold up better than those flimsy and loose robes that you order wears. May the two of you live a long a prosperous life together._

_One More thing. Feel free to customize it however you like._

_-Fett and Vel_

After just staring blankly into space at the prospect at getting a wedding gift from one of the Jedi’s mortal enemies, Edaan was shaken out of his stupor by Vua, who said, “Are you okay, Edaan?”

 

“Yeah. Just… amazed that Fett would give me such an important gift for a Jedi and Keshiri’s wedding.” Edaan hesitatingly replied.

 

“Well, he holds a good amount of respect for you for building an alliance to help Mandalore, despite your ulterior motives, for bonding with many of his troops, and for holding your word on bringing back his granddaughter and great-grandchildren. So, don’t squander it.” Akku explained with just a hint of a warning in it.

 

“Good to know.” Edaan simply said, before declaring, “Well, I’d better hurry, then. I’ll need a few buckets of paint and a stenciling kit, stat.”

 

“For what, boss?” Robonino curiously asked.

 

“In order for me to customize my new set of armor, just like the Mandalorians do.” Edaan explained. “I’ll get started on it tomorrow after… well, you know.” Edaan said with a silly grin at the end.

 

After hearing a series of chuckles from the male members of Edaan’s crew, he wondered how Adari was faring with Jarael, Mirta, and Sintas.

 

_Meanwhile, In the Slave I_

 

“Thanks for doing this for me, girls. This means a lot to me.” Adari sincerely said to the three other woman in the room as she opened the box containing the gift of a complete set of Mandalorian armor that was entirely laced with the near-indestructible mineral that was known as _beskar_

 

“Oh, think nothing of it, Adari. This is just a simple, yet practical gift that will aid you and Edaan in the coming wars. I heard that both of my _ba’buirs_ gave Edaan a similar gift. Feel free to customize it however you like.” Mirta said with a wave of hand, dismissing the matter, surprising the Keshiri, as Mirta was not usually so high-spirited.

 

“The three of us, especially Mirta, just want you and Edaan to be happy together after he helped her get back to her family, and to do that, we need to make sure that the two of you stay alive long enough for his mad quest to succeed, even though I have my doubts about whether or not he can fulfill his promise.” Sintas explained to the confused woman sitting beside her.

 

“Ah.” Adari simply said to the explanation as she felt her heartbeat accelerate at the prospect of marrying the man of her dreams. “You know, I never thought that I’d fall in love with a Jedi, but I guess that the Force works in mysterious ways.”

 

“You know, other than a brief layover of the facts, no one knows how you and Edaan got together.” Jarael said.

 

“Really, well, I guess I should tell that story, then. It was about five and one-half years ago that the Jedi and their allies found Kesh and began their invasion of the planet, and let me tell you, the eighteen months of fighting there were incredibly fierce. Most inhabitants of Kesh sided with Vestara and the Sith, but a few remembered the Sith’s oppression of those that resisted their rule, including the genocide committed by two of the Lost Tribe’s founding members fifteen years after the Sith’s arrival on Kesh, the human Seelah Korsin and the Red Sith, Ravilan. I found this out through Force visions due to my weak connection to the Force, and rallied like-minded Keshiri and humans that wanted all outsiders gone, since we thought that all other people were the same. From there, we emulated the Rebel Alliance of old, and hit the Sith with guerilla tactics, helping the Jedi while preparing to turn on them in order to drive them and the Sith off of Kesh for good. It was three months after the war began that I met Edaan, and let me tell you, he was the most handsome human that I’ve ever met. I was, at the time, ashamed to say that I was smitten by him, and by the expression on his face when he first saw me, he felt the exact same way.”

 

“So, how did you guys become so close?” Mirta asked, her interest piqued by Adari’s stories.

 

“Well, it wasn’t easy, but fifteen months of working together can really change a person’s point of view. He showed me the value of the Jedi and the rest of the galaxy, and I showed him the beauty of the Keshiri people when the dark side of the Force didn’t taint us. We came to a mutual understanding, and eventually, we fell in love, and I grew to be a great ally of the Jedi. I won’t bore you with the specifics, but it’s thanks to him that a few million Keshiri still survive and are going to be a part of the Galactic Alliance soon, once this Sith business is over, of course.” Adari said, finishing her explanation.

 

Deciding not to pry any further, the two Mandalorians escorted Jarael and Adari off of the _Slave I_ , and left the two women in order to prepare for the celebration after the wedding.

 

“So.” Jarael simply said, her glowing eyes leering at Adari.

 

“What?” Adari asked, confused as to what the Iskalloni was getting at.

 

“Are you excited for the wedding, the party, and then the big night?”

 

“Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“Relax. I’m just making sure. There’s no need to get defensive.” Jarael said.

 

“Actually, I would like you there, along with a couple of bacta patches for the two of us, each one big enough to cover our hands. Don’t worry, you’ll understand why soon enough.” Adari suddenly said, confusing Jarael, but she acquiesced to her request by nodding, as it was the least that she could do for one of her dear friends.

_At 1300 Hours, Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“So… why is Jarael here with us? I wanted Artoo present so we could record this moment so we could look over it later on, but I don’t understand what she’s doing here.”

 

“Well, beloved, Jarael is going to provide us with quick-healing bacta patches after we do the ceremony.” Adari explained, earning a nod of understanding from her about-to-be husband, who was still amazed at the grey Mandalorian armor that she was wearing, as, in his eyes, it made her look like even more beautiful.

 

“Ah. So, did you bring the knife?” Edaan simply said.

 

“Yup. Did you bring the rings?” Adari confirmed and then asked.

 

Edaan simply nodded as he pulled out a small black box out of the robes of his Jedi combat armor, which Adari thought made him even more gorgeous than before as she pulled off the glove on her right hand. As Edaan opened the box, she gasped at how beautiful the rings were: two golden rings with crystals that were made from pearls from the planet Dac in the center of the rings.

 

“Edaan, these are beautiful. How much did they cost you?” Adari said with wonder and awe.

 

“Not much. I helped a merchant who sells these pearls on Napdu, and he agreed to give me a significant discount on all of his wears.” Edaan explained to his betrothed.

 

“How many people owe you favors, Edaan?” Adari humorously said as she chuckled and giggled.

 

“About a quarter of the galaxy, but I tend to stay away from Bakura, due to the heavy influence of the Cosmic Balance religion and their fear of Force users, and Iskalon, due to their fear of all outsiders.” Edaan honestly said.

 

“It’s that bad on those planets?” Adari said as she looked at her ring intently.

 

“Yeah, and the Prime Minister of Bakura, Malinza Thanas, tries to limit her interactions with the rest of the Galaxy, except for the Pweck Emancipation Movement, which her government is allied with in case of another Ssi-ruvvi invasion of their planet, and Luke Skywalker, who looked after her after her mother died during the First Corellian Insurrection almost thirty-eight years ago. And as for Iskalon the leader, Mone, and his people suffered terrible under the Galactic Empire during the First Galactic Civil War.” Edaan elaborated.

 

“As interesting as these political and historical lessons are, would it not make sense that we should move ahead with the wedding ceremony?’ Artoo said.

 

“Good idea, Artoo, we don’t want to keep the lovely couple and their party guests waiting.” Jarael concurred with the astromech droid.

 

As Edaan took off the glove on his right hand and told Artoo to begin recording, Adari brought up the shikkar that had been hanging on her side ever since she stepped on the _Second Chance_. Both people put their palms over the blade, and Adari said “I love you, Edaan Palpatine.”

 

As Keshiri customs dictated, Edaan then fiercely kissed his about-to-be wife, and said, “I love you too, Adari Thayn.”

 

With one quick motion, Adari twisted the blade and jerked it down, slicing two similar cuts into each person’s palms. Edaan and Adari then winced in pain, but they endured the agony as the blood rushed down their wrists. Edaan understood that the mixing of the two people’s blood now represented the unbreakable link between him and Adari.

 

Adari quickly said “Now, Jarael.” Immediately understanding what was being asked of her, she brought out the bacta patches and put them on the new couple’s bleeding palms. As the soothing pressure of the bacta took effect, both people sighed as the pain subsided, and as they each put their wedding rings on each other.

 

“Shall we go to the mess hall for our wedding celebration?” Adari Thayn Palpatine seductively said.

 

“But, of course, my beautiful wife.” Edaan Palpatine said in a sultry tone that titillated her entire body.

 

_2000 Hours_

 

Everyone was present to congratulate the new couple, including the grim Boba Fett and Venku Skirata, due to a reason that Edaan could not identify. The people of various backgrounds were either cheering or clapping their hands in celebration of the two people. As they each mingled with the various guests, such as the military commanders, Jedi, Imperial Knights, Mandalorians, crime lords, and assassins. There was an assortment of foods that ranged from bantha steaks and milk, to the incredibly rare drink known as hot chocolate, to Mandalorian foods and drinks such as _uj’alayi_ cakes and _kri’gee,_ respectively. The celebrations went on for seven hours as people told every one of their battle stories and exploits, ranging from Jaina Solo Fel to Mirta Gev, Voort “Piggy” sa Binring, Rayder Sei, Traest Kre’frey, Releqy A’Kla, Syal and Myri Antilles, and Barratk’l. Even Etahn A’baht, Ponc Gavirsom, Ta’laam Ranth, and Kir Vantai were present, as, thanks to advancements on medical technologies, they had recovered enough from their imprisonment in carbonite to be brought up to speed on the current situation, as well as attend the wedding celebrations. The human prisoners, such as Firmus Nantz and Turk Brand, unfortunately, still had to take at least two more days off in order to recover from hibernation sickness before they returned to duty.

 

After saying goodnight to everyone, the newlywed couple retired to their room on the _Second Chance_. They quickly sat on the bed, and stared intently into each other’s eyes as Adari said, “Who is the most important person in your life?”

 

“You are.” Edaan honestly said.

 

“And who will you spend the rest of your life with?”

 

“You.”

 

After taking a minute to bask in the attention that was coming her way, she nodded her assent and said, “Proceed.”

 

Once those words were uttered, both knew that they could at last give in to the desires that had been stirring in them since the day that they had met each other on Kesh. They started with a slow kiss, full of passion and love, as they knew to take their time and do their first time together right. Soon enough, the kiss grew in heat and desire, and they started to unclothe the other. Once they were done, they moved against each other in synch as they formed a bond that was made by the Force, and could not be broken by anything that the galaxy could throw at them, and continued this slow pace for six hours as they consummated their love for each other before falling into a blissful sleep. And it was free of all dreams, both good and bad.

 

**Well, that ends the most romantic chapter that I’ve ever written. Sorry that it was so short, but I wanted to move the story along and not get too bogged down in the details. Hopefully, one day this story can become a reality, and be written properly. Until that day, if it ever comes, this story will exist in fanfiction form. Hey, tell me what you all thought of this chapter, and be honest. Do you think that I should make this story M rated due to this chapter or not? Well, I hope that those of you that have seen Exodus: Gods and Kings caught that reference, as I won’t say it and spoil the mystery. Oh, and I hope that you enjoy all of my Expanded Universe references throughout my story, as there are many, _many_ more to come. One last thing to say, and this chapter will be done. Electricboa, once again, I salute you, your story, _Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Culmination_ , and the reference to a Keshiri wedding. I hope that it is okay that I used your idea, as give you full credit for the idea. Well, with all of that out of the way, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	7. Chapter 6

**Good day, fellow Star Wars fans. I hope that you are ready for some action, as it will be coming within seven chapters, and that is a promise. I can’t guarantee that it will be good though, as I am inexperienced with writing stories that are heavy with action. So, have any of you seen some good movies, as I recently saw _Central Intelligence_? To be honest, I have to give it a rating of 2.5 stars, as it was funny, but ridiculous, to say the least, as I won’t go into details. Oh, I recently found a beyond brilliant series of Mass Effect stories that are written by a writer on this site that goes by the username of ArchReaperN7, and the stories that I’ve read are some of the best that I’ve ever read, and I haven’t even read them all yet. I’d have to place them in the top ten of my favorite authors. Anyway, let’s get started with this story, as I’m sure that you all are excited for more of this good story. **

_Day 49 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation 0900 Hours_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

Edaan Palpatine slowly woke up from his slumber to find the limp arm of his wife, Adari Thayn Palpatine, wrapped over his back. _By the Force. I have a WIFE!!!_ Edaan thought with glee as he gently prodded his wife in order to wake her up.

 

After a minute of gentle poking, Adari reluctantly woke up and turned her head to face her husband, and smiled as she said, “Good morning, husband.” She said the last word with a seductive tone that made Edaan’s heart skip a beat.

 

“How was your sleep?” Edaan asked.

 

“Beautiful. It was the first time that I ever slept with someone unclothed, and it was… beyond description.” Adari happily explained as she kissed the ring on Edaan’s right hand, causing Edaan to smile in contentment.

 

“Listen, as much as I’d love to stay here with you like this forever, we need to take a sanisteam, get dressed, and return to our duties so we can prepare for the civil war to end, and we can save Vestara and destroy the Sith order in whatever form that it takes.” Edaan simply said.

 

“Oh. Is that all? Well, good thing that there’s no one else onboard the ship, as I want to stay this clothed for a little longer. Care to come with me to the sanisteam, my love?”

 

Edaan simply smirked at the question as the two of them got out of bed and headed for the refresher that housed the sanisteam, where they stepped in together and enjoyed each other’s company for just a little longer. And once their sanisteam was done, they each went to do their own thing for ninety minutes before heading to the daily war meeting.

 

_Two Hours Later, In the Command Center_

 

Everyone that was present in physical or holographic form, except for Boba, Sintas, and Mirta, was surprised at the sets of armor that both Edaan and Adari were wearing: Adari painted her entire set of Mandalorian armor purple to represent her people and culture, while Edaan painted a piece of his Jedi combat armor black, red, green, blue, orange, and black, as each color, according to Mandalorian culture, represented justice, honoring a parent, duty, reliability, a lust for life, and justice, respectively, as well as a pair of Jaig eyes on the chest plate in order to represent bravery in Mandalorian culture.

 

“Nice armor, both of you. It suits the two of you.” Ghes said sincerely, still surprised that each of the two newlywed had new sets of armor, despite finding out of the gifts that .

 

“Thank you Ghes, but you should thank your _Mand’alor_ for giving these gifts to us.” Adari said, her voice slightly digitized by the helmet’s speakers.

 

“Yeah, we all know. Who knew that _Mand’alor_ had a heart under all of that armor and cynicism?” Ghes jokingly said as Boba glared at him, before he continued, saying, “So, how was your special night?”

 

“You know a newlywed couple doesn’t kiss and tell.” Adari and Edaan simultaneously said before Adari giggled, earning chuckles from everyone present but Boba.

 

“Anyway, shouldn’t we get started on the war meeting?” Edaan said, eliciting a nod of approval from Boba, Goran, Venku, Armand, and Corran, pleased that Edaan’s emotions were not all over the room considering that he had just married the girl of his dreams.

 

“Agreed. Now, to recap what we discovered two days ago, a group of twenty senators in the Galactic Alliance, led by U’Ta Divinian and Jenna Sauro, have taken their sector fleets to reinforce Daala’s armada. These sectors include the planets of Feorost, Metalorn, Bespin, Ukio, Apatros, and fifteen other worlds of significant importance.” Goran informed Edaan and Adari, who gaped at the news.

 

“Are you _karking_ kidding me?! What kind of malevolent force would cause those twenty senators to support a war criminal and psychopath like Daala? Er… no offense, Boba.” Edaan shouted before quickly apologizing to Boba, realizing that he had supported Daala during and after the Second Galactic Civil War.

 

Boba simply shrugged at the remark, saying, “None taken. Anyway, we need to prepare for an influx of reinforcements from Commenor, because Supreme Commander Phennir was able to outmaneuver Fyor Rodan and his supporters, and the Galactic Alliance, since they’re sending a huge fleet under the command of Nek Bwua’tu and General Keyan Farlander.” After seeing Edaan breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that Commenor and the Galactic Alliance were listening to his warnings, despite the heavy anti-Jedi sympathy that had pervaded both governments, and everyone was banding together to fight the forces of the dark side in whatever form that it took, Fett continued, gravely saying, “Unfortunately, Rodan managed to take a tenth of Commenor’s defense fleet, which equals three Star Destroyers and their support ships, to support Daala, and the Chiss Ascendancy is still holding back their forces, but Aristocra Formbi is working to convince them otherwise, but he still has a long way to go before the Ascendency and the Empire of the Hand will aid us, due to the Jedi’s involvement. Oh, and the Corellian Dreadnaughts have arrived, and are awaiting orders.”

 

“Darn it.” Edaan whispered before speaking loudly and saying, “Well, that still leaves us with a substantial force. Hopefully, we can defeat Daala’s fleet with what we have and will receive, and take Daala and her advisors into custody so we can interrogate them for the Sith’s whereabouts.”

 

“Let’s just hope that you Jedi can keep your prisoners alive, unlike Caedus and Tahiri.” Boba said with just a hint of venom in his voice, which Edaan understood, as each person that Boba mentioned had accidentally killed a prisoner under their charge, as Jacen, while he was a Sith apprentice, tortured and killed Fett’s daughter, Ailyn Vel, and Tahiri, when she was Caedus’s Sith apprentice, unintentionally killed Lon Shevu, a deceased captain in the defunct Galactic Alliance Guard that aided Ben Skywalker in proving that Jacen Solo, just before he became a full Sith Lord under the name of Darth Caedus, killed his aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker.

 

“Don’t worry, Fett. We aren’t that harsh on our prisoners.” Corran said in a peacemaking tone, not wanting to further antagonize the leader of the fiercest group of warriors.

 

“Noted.” Was all that Boba said before turning his head to face Edaan, who raised his hand in order to be heard. “Yes, Edaan?”

 

“It just came to my realization that I wasn’t informed about the Senators defecting to Daala. Why wasn’t I heard about the Senators and that _di’kut_ Fyor Rodan defected over to Daala’s side sooner?” Edaan said with a small amount of frustration in his voice that everyone was quick to pick up on.

 

“Because you were about to get married, and we could afford to go two days without you knowing about this detail.” Boba simply said.  

 

“What? Do you think that I couldn’t have handled the news that a bunch of _aruetiise_ senators and the forces loyal to them want to support a madwoman that wants to destroy life as we know it? And since when do you care about a Jedi’s feelings? I thought that you hated all Force users except for Kubariet, Empress Fel, Gotab, and Venku.” Edaan said, his voice and anger slowly rising at Boba’s indifferent tone.

 

“Since I’ve grown to respect you as a _person_ , not as a Jedi.” Boba growled out, now frustrated by this Jedi’s own frustrations over him trying to be a person considerate of another person’s feelings, which was rare for Boba, as he only did that for his own family and people, so he then understood what Edaan was feeling at the moment. “Sorry, that was uncalled for, Edaan.” Fett gruffly said.

 

“Fine, but is there anything else that was being kept from me?” Edaan asked, his tone all-business now after huffing out his frustrations.

 

“No, Edaan.” Goran said, grateful that the young Jedi would not hold a grudge with Boba with only a few days left before the invasion. “That’s all of the knowledge that we kept from you.”

 

“Good to know.” Azzim curtly said, feeling guilty of withholding the intelligence from his longtime friend, but sympathizing with Boba’s point of view. He then continued, saying, “Now, we need to decide how we’re going to direct the diverse fleet that’s under our command, as we have no idea what kind of chaotic strategy that Daala will dish out in five days.”

 

“Perhaps we should let Supreme Commander Bwua’tu lead the assembled fleet.” Gavin Darklighter suddenly said. “After all, he has had experience leading Imperial and Galactic Alliance forces, he has good relations with the Jedi Order and Imperial Knights, and he has a knowledge of how the Galactic Underworld thinks, especially the Mandalorians that served under the former Chief of State Daala, and most importantly, he, better than anyone present, knows how Daala thinks, which is going to be key in anticipating her tactics and strategies.”

 

After taking a moment to consider the admiral’s proposal, Boba and Edaan simultaneously nodded their consent, the former saying, “I agree. He is a professional, and can work with any being as long as they’re not a threat to the Galactic Alliance, and me and my people, well, most of them, anyway, have no desire to start a war that we can’t win. We should contact him at once and inform him of this development.”

 

Boba and Gavin’s words, as well as Edaan’s silent consent, were enough to sway over the remaining members of the Shadow Alliance’s war council, as they each held a high opinion of Bwua’tu for his skill and humility, the latter of which he picked up during the Swarm War when his flagship at the time, the _Admiral Ackbar_ , was commandeered by Killikk assassins of the Gorog Hive, and the former was honed by decades of warfare, making him a rival for the legendary Grand Admiral Thawn.

 

_In Hyperspace, Four Hours Away from the Mandalore System_

_Onboard the_ Magador

 

“You want me to _what_?!” Nek Bwua’tu practically screamed out, nearly giving everyone on the Super Star Destroyer’s bridge, as the supreme commander never expressed his emotions so intensely.

 

“ _We want you to lead the combined armies of the Shadow Alliance, which is comprised of civilian, criminal, Hutt, Imperial, Galactic Alliance, Jedi, and Mandalorian forces against Natasi Daala and her Sith Masters_ ” The holographic form of Edaan Palpatine repeated in the same dead serious tone that he used the first time.

 

“Forgive me, Knight Palpatine, but are you sure that the your war council has made the best decision? From what I’ve heard, your council has been effective in preparing for Natasi Daala’s invasion, and my command style may run into trouble with the… less savory elements of the Shadow Alliance, no offense, Mandalore and Azzim.” Nek said, quickly adding the last bit in order to avoid offending the two mentioned members of the war council, who simply shrugged their shoulders in response to the apology.

 

“ _Please, Supreme Commander, what you said was perfectly understandable, but I can assure you that the two of our forces are the epitome of professionalism, as you’ve no doubt seen in our council’s reports, as well as the briefing that Chief of State Dorvan gave you before dispatching your fleet to Mandalore._ ” Azzim said with just a hint of pride betraying the calmness in his voice as Boba simply nodded at the Hutt’s response.

 

“I believe you, but I just want you to be sure of what you’re getting yourselves into, as I can do things a little off-the-books, if you know what I mean.” Nek warned.

 

“ _Don’t worry, Supreme Commander, unpredictable my be just what we need right now in order to counter Daala’s reckless endangerment of the galaxy and all of its inhabitants._ ” Corran Horn assured the Bothan, who did not become mollified by the confidence being bestowed onto him.

 

“It was then that Edaan spoke, saying, “ _Don’t worry, Nek- can I call you Nek?_ ” after receiving a nod of approval from Nek, continued, “ _We all have faith in you, Nek. You are a commander that does not want power, and that makes you perfect for leading all of our forces, as you will not use any of our people for personal gain, and, just as important you can put personal feelings aside for the sake of the mission, which I, admittedly, have trouble doing._ ” Those last six words actually elicited a chuckle from everyone present in real or holographic form, and even Boba’s shoulders vibrated a little at the remark.

 

After taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what came next, Nek replied by saying in the most authoritative tone that he could muster, “Then, with great reluctance, I accept the offer that is being presented to me, and would be honored to lead the forces of the Shadow Alliance to victory.”

 

_Meanwhile, In the Shogun System_

_Onboard the_ Chimeara

 

Natasi Daala was pleased with the reports that each of her commanders was reporting in, including a newly promoted Tors Remal as commander of the fleet, second only to Belok Rhal and Natasi’s Jedi hunters in command rank in her armada. And she was especially pleased with the two special surprises that were in store for her enemies, especially that wretched Jedi Knight, Edaan Palpatine, a Palpatine, for galaxy’s sake, that managed to slow her plans down significantly by bringing her actions to the galactic stage, and Mirta Gev, who betrayed her and set back her invasion by a week, giving her enemies, which now included her former lover, Nek Bwua’tu, time to prepare for her attack.

 

 _Oh, everyone on my side is going to have the time of their lives in five days._ Natasi maliciously thought as Nash Windrider finished his report on her starfighters’ state of readiness, which was at eighty-seven percent, and would be brought up to one hundred within the next three days. With a crisp salute, Nash took his leave and left the bridge in order for Natasi to anticipate the fleet of reinforcements of treacherous senators and soldiers from the Galactic Alliance that saw the wisdom of Natasi’s actions against the accursed Force. Let Fett, Edaan, and their allies prepare for her arrival, as nothing could prepare them for what was coming their way. And that caused Natasi to grow a smirk that would make Abeloth blanch in fear.

 

**And, cut! Well, another chapter is complete. Tell me what you think in reviews. Oh, and Powerslammer, grannyshirley, alexandervzeballos, Master Skywalker 121, drake305, and Guest, whoever you are, thank you so much for your reviews, making one of my stories one of your favorites, or following my stories, as it means a lot to me that some people like my stories. Anyway, I hope that I made my characters, original or newly created by me, believable, as I want to make this as close to a Star Wars Expanded Universe novel as I can. May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi, my loyal fans. How are all of you doing on this depressing day, as I just found out that the country of Turkey is experiencing a military coup at this moment? And to think that my visit with my grandparents in Florida started out so well yesterday. I mean, I just earned $20 for doing yard work around their house. Forgive my crudeness, but, as Batman said in Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #1, “The world is going to hell.” I mean, look at the state that so many countries are in, ranging from Russia, to France, The Middle East, Israel, and, the most personal to me, as I live here and am a firm patriot in my country’s founding principles, the United States of America, which is under attack from within and without. Sorry for being so grim, but I just needed to get that off of my chest. And now, for some better revelations, well, at least in my eyes: I am going to collect the remainder of the _Star Wars: Darth Vader_ comics, the _Star Wars: Han Solo_ miniseries, and the main _Star Wars_ series, as long as the latter doesn’t conflict with the “Classic” Expanded universe, as I can fit the former and latter to begin about a year after the Battle of Yavin with a little tweaking, and fit the second one in-between the two. By the way, I saw some of the details from Star Wars: Celebration Europe regarding Ahsoka Tano, both the upcoming novel about her, and the character (and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next, as it is revealed that she will appear after season two of Star Wars: Rebels.), and season three of Star Wars Rebels (and I am gravely concerned about Ezra Bridger, as he has gotten darker from what little I can tell, as he is willing to kill stormtroopers now, which is something that he never did before). Anyway, with all of that out of the way, let’s get started with the story, which I hope is more detail-oriented than my previous works, as a good friend pointed out, who I will not name in order to protect their privacy. **

_Day 51 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation 1215 Hours_

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

The forty-year-old Atai Molec was hard at work as he wiped the beads of sweat off of his forehead, making many adjustments to the heavily modified YT-1300 light freighter, the _Second Chance_ , which included increasing power to the quad laser cannons, the engines, and the sensors. It was work that made Atai’s mind slip back to the days of his youth, when he honed his skills as a mechanic while in service of the Jedi Order’s secret allies in the Galactic Alliance, including the legendary, and unofficially active, Wraith Squadron, as they helped purge the government of any remaining Sith Lords from the Lost Tribe of the Sith, and corrupt senators and military officers that supported organizations and movements that proved detrimental to the Galactic Alliance’s well-being, ranging from slavers, Xasha Xizor, and Galactic Exploitations Technologies ever since the Heroes of Yavin and their allies killed the Qreph brothers eleven years ago. Those years were second to only the time that he spent with Edaan Palpatine in helping him remove the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild from his homeworld, and restructuring his government from a monarchy into a republic that entered the Galactic Alliance as a strong and able member of its senate, moving the galaxy a little closer to true peace.

 

 _Too bad that so much blood has to be spilt in order for us to reach that peace._ Atai grimly and sadly thought as Edaan quietly walked up to Atai. The only reason that he recognized Edaan is because of the distinctive sound, a _clunk-clunk_ , which his Jedi combat armor that he now wore made. Turning around, he saw the young Jedi growing a beard, and said with an amused smile on his face, “What’s with the new look?”

 

“Oh, I felt that I needed a new look in order to impress Adari, and a beard was the easiest thing to get in order to get that new look.” Edaan cheerfully said before his eyes took on a serious gleam as he said in a completely grim tone, “There’s only three days left before the war comes to a head. I’m going around to everyone in the crew in order to help them out. I already aided Jarael in helping Daala and Caedus’s prisoners fully recover from hibernation sickness, s they’re being briefed on the situation, I helped teach a Teräs Käsi class with Vua and Adari to a hundred of their best learners, gave Akku and Rayder Sei and their subordinates their orders for the upcoming invasion, as their skills in infiltration can be put to devastating effect, put Robonino in charge of Janek the White’s bounty hunters, as he has more experience than them; Colovo, Durge, their forces, and Xasha’s former followers have agreed to take a subordinate role under Azzim, and Nek Bwua’tu has familiarized himself into the role of leader of the Shadow Alliance’s military.”

 

“Well, with everything that you’ve accomplished today, can you provide me with set of light turbolasers in order to install on the _Second Chance_?” Atai jokingly told the young Jedi, earning a chuckle from him.

 

“Sorry, old friend, but all of the turbolasers need to stay onboard the capital ships. I was able to get us a rack of the latest proton torpedo shipment that came from Adumar for the _Second Chance_ , though.” Edaan said in a conciliatory tone.

 

After sighing with disappointment, Atai said, “Oh, well. I had to ask. Say, while we’re on the topic on the reallocation of our forces, what have you done with the forces that came from Zygerria?”

 

“Actually, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. The rest of the war council wants your permission to spread your forces under the commands of each war councilor in order to promote camaraderie and solidarity in the grunts.” Edaan said as a frown came upon his face, his tone now completely businesslike now.

 

After Atai pretended to mull over the matter for a moment as his head tilted from side to side, he nodded his head and said “Makes sense. If we’re going to make this alliance work, the troops need to get along at least as well as their commanders do.”

 

“So, that’s a yes, then?” Edaan asked, knowing the answer, but asking out of courtesy for one of his closest friends.

 

“Yes. You have my approval to spread out my forces throughout the army.”

 

“Good. There’s going to be a final meeting with the leaders of the war council in two hours, and the Jedi Council and the Galactic Senate, Hapes Consortium, and Fel Empire’s Moff Council are attending through the Holonet. I want everyone in my crew to be there, as I have some disturbing news to report.” Edaan said in a tone that would brook no argument, which was unusual, as Edaan never forced anyone to do anything. _Sure, the guy’s used his charisma, influence, and subconscious use of the Force to convince people to see his side of things, but he always gave everyone the chance to leave if they wanted to._ Atai thought as he recalled all of the times that Edaan’s powers of persuasion to convince the vast majority of the members of the Zygerrian army and royal guard to defect to the Zygerria Anti-Slavery Movement when it was just two years old.

 

Realizing that this sudden order was out of character for the young Jedi, Edaan quickly said, “I’m sorry if I’ve unnerved you, old friend, but this news needs to be said in order for everyone to grasp how far that Daala and her commanders have descended into insanity and bloodlust.” As he turned to leave, he turned around and said, “Oh, and if I were you, I’d take a sanisteam and put on your best clothes, because a lot of eyes are going to be on us.”

 

After Atai heard those words, and looking down to see the multiple grease stains covering his outfit and body, he laughed out loud and shouted to Edaan as he walked out of the Second Chance, “Sure thing, boss!”

 

Edaan only chuckled at Atai’s use of the nickname that only Robonino was supposed to call him as, knowing that he had almost two hours to kill before the final War Council, he began walking to the briefing room in the command tower in order to speak with the recovered admirals, senators, and the marines under their command.

 

_Forty-Five Minutes Later,_

_In the Command Center’s Briefing Room_

Admirals Kir Vantai and Firmus Nantz, General Etahn A’baht, Commodore Turk Brand, the handful of fully recovered space marines loyal to them, as well as Senators Ponc Gavirsom, and Ta’laam Ranth, could hardly fathom what Releqy A’Kla had told them about what had occurred in the fifteen years since Darth Caedus had imprisoned them in carbonite for having the courage to take the freedoms of the Galactic Alliance back from him in a bloodless coup. Ever since they were trapped and hidden away, the Galactic Alliance had been under the control of the war criminal Natasi Daala for three years before being deposed by the Jedi Order for her erratic conduct, her apparent support of slavery, and her uncontrollable desire to either bring the Jedi under her control or destroy them, the galaxy had nearly descended into anarchy due to the incompetence of the majority of the Galactic Senate, and the Sith had been returning in legions in the forms of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, as well as a new hidden group that was led by a Sith Lord that went by the name of the “Dragon Lord.” In addition, the Imperial Remnant had been reorganized into what was called the “Fel Empire”, due to Jagged and Jaina Solo Fel becoming the Emperor and Empress of the reconstituted Empire, and a single Jedi Knight who was called Edaan Palpatine, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Palpatine, no less, had been able to create a “Shadow Alliance” that was comprised of much of the galactic underworld, which included the resources of three Black Sun vigos, eleven crime lords stationed at Ord Mantell, the Mandalorians that were under the command of their ruler, Boba Fett, and the followers of the deceased Falleen anarchist priest, Xasha Xizor; the Shadow Alliance also had the support of various planets and their forces, a group of five Jedi and their Order’s intelligence groups, the Fel Empire and eleven of their recently formed Imperial Knights, a Hutt fleet under the command of the new and clever Hutt called Azzim Anjilic Atirue, the Confederation worlds of Bothawui, Corellia, Adumar, and Commenor, three Galactic Alliance fleets under the command of Admiral Gavin Darklighter, and the entire composed fleet was commanded by the Galactic Alliance’s Supreme Commander, Nek Bwua’tu, who was subordinate to a war council that was comprised of Boba Fett, Corran Horn, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Gavin Darklighter, Jaina Solo Fel, Traest Kre’frey, Trista Zel, Armand Vorn, the son of Natasi Daala, and Edaan Palpatine, which commanded the Shadow Alliance.

 

“This is a very troubling development.” Etahn A’baht gravely said, his hand stroking his chin in deep thought.

 

“How large are the forces under the Shadow Alliance’s command?” Firmus Nantz asked Releqy, getting right to business.

 

After typing on a datapad for thirty seconds, the Caamasi handed it to Firmus, who scanned over the list of assets, and as he glanced over the list, he grew impressed at the amount of forces that Edaan Palpatine had been able to assemble: Rodia sent three clans of its best warriors under the command of Galactic Alliance senator Janek the White, as well as twenty bounty hunters under Janek's personal payroll. Taris's governor, Leon Saresh, sent the Neo Hidden Beks and several of the planet's militias and gangs as well, which numbered at over six thousand people. Rhinnal sent ten of its best medics and their staff members in four MedStar-class frigates to serve under Edaan's personal medic, Jarael Chantique. Falleen sent one thousand of their best fighters to aid Edaan, while Prefsbelt sent three wings of prototype hyperspace-capable TIE fighters that were designated "Predators." Kuat and Rothana sent a combined fleet of five _Galactic_ -class Battle Carrier, Twenty _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, Fifty Lancer-class frigates, and two heavily armed Lucrehulk-class battleships that were loaded with advanced starfighters of various designs, while Dac sent a small but formidable fleet of ten MC90 Capitol Ship cruisors, and the Mon Calamari _Vicount_ -Class Star Defender, the _Nossor Ri_ , each ship contained its fair share of fighters, under the command of the capable Commodore Kral Nevil, who had over thirty years of combat experience under his belt. Anzat sent a team of elite Anzati assassins to aid Boba and Edaan, under the command of Rayder Sei. The Hapes Consortium sent a considerable fleet of ten Hapan Battle Dragons, twenty Nova-Class battle cruisers, ten Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, Miytil starfighters, and Miy'til assault bombers each. The Imperial Mission sent fifty Gozanti-class Cruisers that were full of foodstuffs, medical supplies, basic hardware, volunteers in noncombatant roles, and so forth. From Ord Mantell, Big Bunji, Havok, Lyshaa, Bib Fortuna, who had moved operations from Tatooine to Ord Mantell, Desaan, and six other crime lords had sent their forces, which numbered at over two thousand, to aid the Mandalorians to repel Daala's forces. The Fel Empire sent the Five- Hundred-and-First Legion, nicknamed "Vader's Fist" for its work for Darth Vader during the First Galactic Empire's reign, twelve _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Imperial II_ -Class Star Destroyers under the command of Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti, and ten Imperial Knights as Jaina Solo Fel's personal retinue. Zygerria sent half of its royal guard, as well as a third of its militia to aid its prime minister, Atai Molec, rid the galaxy of the Zygerria Slavers' Guild. A great number of Xasha Xizor's followers came in ships of various designs and sizes, such as Vainglorius-class cruisers, Consular-class Cruisers, Carrack-class Light Cruisers with external starfighter racks, Venerator-class Star Destroyers, and so on. The number of volunteers numbered in sixty thousand. Finally, the Hutt Grand Council sent twenty chelandion-class warships, twenty-five Hutt Batils and Tarradas each, and thirty Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers that were modified to operate with a crew of only five thousand crewman. Boba Fett had a personal army of thirty-six thousand Mandalorians under his command, who had five wings of _Bes'uliiks_ under his command, twenty Keldabe-class cruisers, one hundred Firespray Pursuit-class fighters, fifty MandalMotors Pursuer-class enforcement ships, one Venerator-class Star Destroyer, the _Raptor_ , along with one Acclamator-class assault ship, five Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three Keldabe-Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, the four Republic-class cruisers, and an Assassin-class Corvette. The Galactic Alliance official sent a fleet that was composed of, in addition to the Super Star Destroyer, the _Megador_ , eight _Galactic_ -class Battle Cruisers, ten _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, three _Interdictor_ -class Cruisers, ten _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, six _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, five Star Galleon-class Frigates, and five MC90 Capitol Ship cruisers. In addition, two brigades of Void Jumpers, who were personally loyal to Bwua’tu, arrived to aid the ground forces. Corellia sent two of their massive Dreadnaughts, Bothawui sent ten Bothan Assault Cruisers, Adumar sent a massive weapons shipment to Mandalore, while Commemor sent a fleet of twenty Star Destroyers and thirty support ships of various designs, ranging from Star Galleons to Gallofree GR-75 Medium Transports, more colloquially called “Rebel Transports,” that were loaded to the brim with weapons, foodstuffs, medical supplies, and electronic equipment that would improve the efficiency of all of Mandalore’s equipment by at least twenty percent, according to comparisons of the technology that many of the Mandalorians were using, which was at least four years out of date.

Of course, a significant force would be coming within the next three days, and it would be under the command of Natasi Daala. The armada under her command, which was composed of the Maw Irregular Fleet that had significantly grown since its unveiling during the Second Galactic Civil War, forces sent from the Corporate Sector and Loronar Corporation, the forces under the former Moff Porack Vansyn, the remains of the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild, renegade Galactic Alliance forces under the command of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard, as well as the sector forces of senators U’Ta Divinian and Jenna Sauro, and eighteen other senators, would be difficult to defeat, even with the forces under the Shadow Alliance’s command. That was why they were meeting in secret to determine what to do in order to help the people that had freed them.

Ta’laam was about to speak when the door slid open to reveal the form of a young man dressed in Jedi combat armor walking towards them.

“Ah, Knight Palpatine, I presume?” Ponc courteously said.

“That is correct, Senator Gavirsom.” Edaan said, nodding as he spoke. “It is a pleasure to see all of you in robust health. I hope that Doctor Chantique was a good medic.”

“Indeed, she was.” Etahn said, before he continued, saying, “May I ask as to what you’re doing here so early before the war council?”

“Funny. I could ask you the same question.” Edaan humorously said before his grin disappeared. “I came to discuss a matter with the seven of you, and I’d prefer to keep it quiet before the meeting.”

“What kind of matter?” Ponc asked, wondering just what the young Jedi was planning.

“I want to resurrect the Grey Cadre, and I want the seven of you to be it.” Edaan suddenly said, causing the mouths of the seven politicians and military leaders, and the marines guarding them, to open agape.

“What do you need the Grey Cadre for? You already have an efficient command structure, and a more than competent military commander in Bwua’tu.” Turk asked.

“Because you guys are brilliant leaders who have led your people through two of darkest period in the galaxy’s recent history, and the galaxy still needs your expertise, now more than ever. Also, the Grey Cadre that I’m envisioning can operate independently, free form bureaucracy and protocol, in case it gets in the way of getting the job done.”

“And just who would this reformed Gray Cadre report to?” Ta’laam skeptically said.

“The war council, so you don’t have to worry about one person, in this case, most likely me, having a strong grip over you and your decision making process.”

“But three of us aren’t even military leaders!” Releqy exclaimed, shocked by Edaan’s trust in these still weak military and political leaders after fifteen years imprisoned in carbonite.

“Ah, but each of you are legendary leaders from the Yuuzhan Vong War and First Galactic Civil War that still carry great respect throughout the galaxy. The war council will listen to you more than me, as I’m still regarded with suspicion by Jaina, Fett, and Trista.” Edaan said. _And what I’m going to say at the final council will earn me even fewer friends, but it needs to be said._ He grimly thought as he continued to look at the seven people, awaiting the answer. “I need your answer within the next hour.”

“Give us a few minutes to discuss this.” Admiral Vantai said, before Edaan curtly nodded and left the room to give the seven people a chance to discuss this while their soldiers watched with undisguised interest as to what direction this discussion would take.

“Well, what do you think? Should we take the young Jedi up on his offer?” Turk said to everyone present.

“I think that we should take this proposal. This way, we won’t supplant or hinder the command structure that Edaan and his allies have put into place, but rather be like Alpha Blue, helping the galaxy from the shadows.” Etahn abruptly said, earning a nod of approval from each person as they understood the message that Edaan was trying to relay to the galaxy: _Either we unite and fight as one against the dark side, or we die on our own._

After coming to an accord, they walked outside to see a sitting Edaan, who was meditating before he opened his eyes to see the seven people standing right in front of him, and said, “That was fast. So, I take it that you’ve all come to an agreement?”

“We have, Edaan. And we’ve agreed to reform the Grey Cadre under the Shadow Alliance’s command. With the war council’s permission, of course.” Admiral Nantz replied in his characteristic grim tone.

“Excellent. Now, if there’s nothing else, let’s head to the briefing room.

_1425 Hours, The Briefing Room_

“Are you sure about this, Edaan?” Corran skeptically asked after he heard Edaan’s proposal to resurrect the Grey Cadre.

“I am, Master Horn. Look at all the good that the original Grey Cadre did during the Dark Empire’s rule. They came up with many brilliant strategies that helped to defeat the reborn Darth Sidious.” Edaan said.

“But will they accept our decisions, as they have reason to mistrust my people, as well as the Mandalorians, Hutts, Black Sun, Imperials, and much of the Galactic Alliance due to their poor handling of many recent matters?” Trista Zel cautiously pointed out.

“These people are professionals, Trista. They can put aside their doubts and suspicions for the greater good.” Gavin said, coming to the defense of his fellow officers and Senators that had proven to have better judgment than most of their contemporaries these days.

“Thank you, Admiral Darklighter, but we can speak for ourselves.” Etahn, gruffly said, but not unkindly, causing Gavin to nod in understanding.

“We did not come to this decision likely. The seven of us want to do our part in defeating Daala and the Sith, and we have agreed that this is the best way to assist you in doing so without supplanting Supreme Commander Bwua’tu.” Releqy gently said to the council.

“Well, we won’t turn down an offer to help form such legendary people such as yourselves.” Azzim graciously said.

“Thank you, Lord Azzim Anjilic Atirue. Your generosity does your people proud.” Ponc gratefully replied.

“Oh, please. Just call me Azzim.” The young Hutt calmly said.

A cough quickly caught everyone’s attention, and everyone turned to face Armand Vorn, who looked slightly annoyed at the banter being exchanged. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have a war meeting to conduct, so what do you say that we get it underway?”

“Of course, Armand. Could you please put the Jedi Council, Moff Council, Queen Mother Tenel Ka, and the Galactic Senate on the encrypted Holonet channel? I have a few words that I’d like to say to them.” Edaan said in a tone that seemed fit to discussing the weather than helping lead a war council.

Puzzled by this question, Armand acquiesced, and, after making sure that the call was triple-encrypted so that Daala couldn’t crack it, established a link with each of the four organizations. As the Holonet console came to life, an image of each governing body of their groups. The Jedi Council included each of its nine present members, including Ben Skywalker, Han Solo, and Jedi Master Leia Organa Solo. The Moff Council included six Moffs that Edaan didn’t recognize, half of them male, and the other half female. Queen Mother Tenel Ka was attended by her other cousin, Taryn Zel, the wife of Jedi Knight Zekk, a childhood friend of Jaina. Lastly, the Galactic Senate came into view, with its massive body difficult to see through such a small projection, but Chief of State Dorvan was visible in the center of the Senate Chamber.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, all of you. Now, I’m sure that you’re all wondering what I’m doing contacting you with only three days left until the Invasion of Mandalore begins. Well, I will get right to the point. I have discovered, through analyzing Daala’s stolen records with the help of one of my companions, Robonino, to be more precise, that she had inside help from each of your governments in stealing Force-sensitives from their homes in order to experiment on them. The lists that I’m sending to each of you determines who is guilty of treason, which can go up to very high levels of your governments.” Edaan explained in a dark tone that threatened his wife, as he never talked like that, not even when he saw the atrocities that the Lost Tribe of the Sith committed during the Jedi’s Invasion of Kesh.

After reading the list intently, Tenel Ka suddenly said, “ _Thank you, Jedi Palpatine. Many of these people on my list were already being watched for suspicious activity, but now I can arrest them on charges of betraying their citizens._ ”

“You are most welcome, Queen Mother. Unfortunately, though, I still have one matter to bring up.” Edaan said, before pulling out a datapad from the robes that covered his customized Jedi combat armor. “Do all of you recall the dozen Jedi that Daala had captured and experimented them all? Well, I found out their names from Mirta Gev, Armand Vorn, and Daala’s confidential files. I’m now going to read off the list of the murdered Jedi: Bandy Gefer. Sothais Saar. Klin-Fa-Gi. Turi Altamik.” Edaan’s voice grew tenser as each name was listed off. “Finn Galfridian. Tahiri Veila. Jysella Horn. Kirana Ti. Ohali Soroc. Marr Idi-Shael!” By this point, Edaan was practically yelling the names, and everyone noticed a creaking noise as various pieces of equipment in the conference room began to be crushed by Edaan’s subconscious use of the Force. “Tesar Sabatyne! And Tiu Zax! Jedi brothers and sisters, including the former Jedi Madurrin, ALL DEAD!!”

“Edaan.” Adari said, her voice laced with concern and fear, as the creaking technology was ripped from their locations and began circling around the room.

“Countless others! Experiment on. Slaughtered like lab rodents! Where were all of you as these people were taken from their homes and treated like animals?! The Jedi Council, too concerned with the ‘big picture’ to look after our own people, just like during the Mandalorian Wars and the Clone War! The Galactic Senate, which was, aside from a handful of brave individuals, too concerned with its pride and image to protect their own citizens! The Moff Council and Hapes Consortium’s Duchas, too concerned with status and power plays to make a difference, leaving their leaders to do all of the true work!” The rage and disgust evident in his eyes, he then turned to face Ben Skywalker, who had an aghast look on his face at his former apprentice’s outburst. “And YOU! Too preoccupied with hunting down and butchering the woman you love to help innocent people, all because she made the wrong choice so many years ago! You read my reports as to why she did what she did during her time with the Order, and you still let your hatred consume you!” Next, he turned to the Heroes of Yavin, his anger rising as he bellowed, “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE GALAXY, NOT RETIRE AT A TIME WHEN WE NEEDED YOUR LEADERSHIP NOW MORE THAN EVER!! WHERE DID YOU GO, LUKE?! INTO RETIREMENT ON TATOOINE! AND HAN AND LEIA, YOU WERE EVEN WORSE! GOING ABOUT THE GALAXY LIKE YOU WERE A NEWLYWED COUPLE INSTEAD OF HELPING TO FIX THE GALAXY’S MISTAKES!!”

“EDAAN, THAT’S ENOUGH!!” Adari screamed as she charged at Edaan in order to stop his outburst before someone was hurt.

But before she could connect, Edaan immobilized her with the Force, and his gaze only softened as he painfully said one last thing to the holograms. “You abandoned us all.” With that said, remembering Qui-Gon Jinn’s teachings, he breathed in the anger, and let it go in a deep exhale. He then released Adari form the hold he had on her, and gently lowered all of the technology he was controlling down onto the ground. Looking at each person in the war room with a look of guilt in his eyes, as he could see the fear on their faces, he whispered to his spouse, “ _I’m so sorry._ ” He quickly fled the room, leaving his stunned wife behind.

Adari looked at Sintas Vel, who had a sympathetic look on her face as she gently said “Go.” With that said, she went after her husband, calling out his name in an attempt to talk with him.

After everyone took five minutes to recover from Edaan’s tirade, Luke Skywalker gently and hesitatingly said, “ _Chief Dorvan, Queen Mother Ka, Moff Council, could you please leave? We have to discuss… this new development._ ” Understanding at once what Luke was referring to, each government shut off their connection to the Holonet, leaving only the Shadow Alliance’s war council and the Jedi Council connected.

“That was, unexpected, to say the least.” Azzim hesitatingly said.

“ _Indeed. None of us had no idea that Edaan had so much anger inside of him._ ” Luke said as he looked down, slightly ashamed due to the words that the young Jedi threw at him and his sister, brother-in-law, and son.

“Well, it’s not that surprising, considering all that he’s been through.” Akku suddenly said, causing everyone to look at him in confusion.

“ _What are you talking about, Akku?_ ” Ben said, in a similar state of shock because of the anger that came out of his former apprentice.

“Don’t you remember Meetra Surik?” Akku began, surprising everyone as they slowly nodded. After seeing everyone confirm this, he continued, saying, “Like her, Edaan has the ability- or gift, I should say- of connecting emotionally and through the Force with other people. He is able to bear the pain of all of his friends and loved ones without breaking down. Just imagine what bearing that pain for so long without any release might have done for someone, and realizing that Daala and her lackeys, no offense, Armand and Mirta had killed so many members of his second family.” He quickly said, earning a shrug from the two deserters, before continuing, saying, “He must be going through so much pain right now, and the only one that can have a chance of reaching him is his wife.”

“That’s not true, Akku.” Boba Fett suddenly said, surprising everyone and causing them to turn to him.

“ _What are you getting at, Fett?_ ” Kyle Katarn asked, curious as to what the ruler of the Mandalorians was getting at.

“What I’m getting at, Grand Master Katarn, is that the seven members of Edaan’s crew, Robonino, Vua, Jarael, Atai, Adari, R2-D2, and you, Akku, have spent so much time working together, that you can get through to Edaan and help him with his anger, because the last thing we need right now is for Edaan to doubt himself.” Boba said, quickly adding that last part to keep people from thinking that he had gone soft from spending so much time around a Jedi, even one that he had grown to respect very much due to his willingness to help his people, despite him having an ulterior motive.

“Agreed. Boba Fett’s argument is logical, which is surprising since he is not fond of the Jedi.” Artoo suddenly said, making everyone remember that the astromech droid was here to record each meeting of the war council for future reference.

“Well, then, the seven of you should go to help Edaan, as I can imagine the pain that he’s going through right now.” Goran said, speaking for the first time during this war council, thinking of the friends and family that he lost due to this blasted civil war.

“I’ll go too. Mirta can take over for me.” Armand suddenly said, causing Mirta to nod in understanding as he went with the six remaining members of Edaan’s crew to find the young Jedi and his wife.

**Well, that was a bracing and surprising chapter. I have to acknowledge that Edaan screaming was inspired by Magneto’s speech to Charles Xavier during the movie _X-Men: Days of Future Past_ , as I found it moving, to say the least. By the way, I saw the announcements for _Star Wars: Rebels: Season Three_ , and _Star Wars: Thrawn_ online during Star Wars: Celebration Europe, and they have me hyped beyond belief to say the least, but it’s a shame that I have to wait for each piece of entertainment. And, don’t worry, I won’t make Thrawn a grand admiral in my story if I include Star Wars: Rebels: Season Three. At best, I will mention Thrawn in passing as a veteran captain sent to deal with the early rebel cells. Oh, and I am very concerned about Ezra Bridger, as I fear that he might become Snoke after _Rebels_ at the rate he is falling to the dark side. Oh, and every Jedi, including Madurrin, that I listed was a real Jedi in the Expanded Universe. I am sorry for all of the Tahiri lovers out there, but I felt that Daala couldn’t let her go after she killed her longtime friend, Gilad Pellaeon, during the Second Galactic Civil War in the book _Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Revelation_ , and would be consumed by revenge against her, as her remarks and vendetta against her were so obvious in _Fate of the Jedi_ , despite all of the effort that Tahiri put into redeeming herself, both as a Jedi and a person. One more thing, in case you were wondering, I did copy and paste the ship and army listings for the Shadow Alliance from my last story, as it would have taken me a while to write the list of forces otherwise.**

 


	9. Chapter 8

**Well, with Star Wars news out of the way, let’s get on to the real world. I heard that the coup in Turkey failed, which is bad, because now the president has the excuse that he needs to purge the military and government of his political enemies. And, in domestic news, I can’t believe that Ted Cruz did not endorse Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee, as, while I have a few doubts about Trump myself, I feel that the Party, which I am affiliated with, in case you were wondering, needs to be unified under Trump in order to stand a chance against Hillary Clinton and her supporters, which I will not go into detail in order to offend anyone of differing political views from my own. Anyway, with politics out of the way, May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

**Hello, Star Wars fans. How are you doing on such a hot and sunny day? I am fine, the temperature is probably in the 90s, and I am eager to write the next chapter of this story. Oh, and I watched most of Ivanka and Donald Trump’s speeches last night on FOX News, and I will say this, those two really know how to get a crowd going and appeal to their hopes. Now, let’s just hope, or pray, depending on your preference, that Donald Trump can fulfill his promises if he becomes president, or we’re all in deep _poodoo_ if he can’t or won’t. But, I have hope and faith in him, as we need more of those two traits now more than ever. Anyway, politics aside, I can assure all of you that my story will kick into action mode in just a few more chapters, as we are three days (in the story, not in real life) away from Daala’s mad Siege of Mandalore (Or should I say, the Second Siege of Mandalore, as I believe that the first Siege of Mandalore during _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ can be fitted into what I consider to be the true Expanded Universe, just put the Siege one month before Episode III, and have Obi-Wan and Anakin sent to Cato Neimoidia for the invasion there instead of the Battle of Coruscant, leading up to James Luceno’s novel _Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil_.). Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, I, unfortunately, did see Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and I found it woefully lacking as a Star Wars story, since it (Spoiler alert!!!) killed off Han Solo by his own son who was named ‘Ben’, (Not very original there, no offense.), made the New Jedi Order decimated by Kylo Ren and Snoke (Who I so hope is not Ezra Bridger, but I fear it is him due to the recent _Rebels_ Episodes.), and was basically a modern rehash of Episode IV. I’m sorry if my opinions have offended you, but I felt the need to let out some of my frustrations at certain matters. **

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

“Edaan?” Adari called out from the ramp of her husband’s ship. Not hearing anything in reply, or sensing anything in the Force, she realized that he was shutting himself off from the Force and the Force Bond that he forged with Adari, and began to carefully and silently tread throughout the ship, thoroughly searching every cabin, room, and nook and cranny of the ship for fifteen minutes before hearing a faint sniffling noise from under her feet. Realizing where Edaan was, she rushed to the hall that was near the main hall, and pulled out the metal floorboards that hid the smuggling compartments that were included in the _Second Chance_ , which, she recalled, was an exact replica of the _Millennium Falcon_ , to find Edaan with his knees up to where his eyes were, and silently crying and shivering.

“Sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Adari cooed in a gentle tone that she reserved for upset children as she went into the compartment to be next to her beloved.

“Everything. When I saw the list of Jedi that were experimented on, along with every Force-sensitive that Daala, Melusar, and their commanders captured, something inside of me just snapped, and I went and blamed everyone but the Mandalorians, Confederation, Chiss, and the Hutts for the galaxy’s troubles.” Edaan shamefully said before continuing. “I’ve been bearing so much responsibility for so long, that I’m not sure if I can deliver my promise to save Vestara and the galaxy, no matter what anyone else says.”

“Well, love, you taught me that Revan and Meetra Surik didn’t save the galaxy from the Sith on their own. They had a crew of friends and comrades, as well as armies at their side in order to defeat Darth Malak and the Sith Triumvirate, respectively.” Adari reminded him, who nodded at her words.

“Yes, that is true. But I’m not sure if I can be up to their level when we face Vestara, ‘Savara’, or whatever she calls herself these days.” Edaan said.

“You helped me by showing me that I didn’t have to be like my personal hero, Adari Vaal when we took down the Lost Tribe, and now it’s my turn to help you see that. As Mace Windu told Obi-Wan Kenobi before he killed General Grievous: ‘Just be you.’ That’s what allowed him to take down the Kaleesh cyborg that killed so many Jedi and innocent people during the Clone War, and that’s what’s going to allow you to save Vestara.” Adari said, full of confidence.

“How can you have so much faith in me, knowing who my ancestor is, and what he did?” Edaan asked.

“Because I know you, and that you could never be like him.” Adari tenderly said, before she suddenly asked, “Why do you have so much faith in Vestara, especially after every transgression that she’s committed over the last twelve years?”

“Yeah, boss. I think that we’ve all been wondering that question ever since we’ve known you.” Robonino suddenly asked, surprising the two newlyweds as they suddenly looked up to see the rest of their comrades, including Armand Vorn, surrounding them.

“By the Force, when did you guys get in here?” Edaan said, his sadness replaced with exasperation as the seven figures stared intently at the couple.

“About a minute ago.” Vua Rapuung stoically replied. “Adari and, believe it or not, Fett, wanted all of us to come here and talk to you after your… display of anger, and we figured that you’d come back to the ship to hide.”

“Indeed, master. Your outburst concerned everyone greatly, and we knew that you could use counseling.” Artoo told Edaan in his digitized voice.

“This display of outrage shows a degree of psychological stress that has been in place for some time, a few years, at least.” Jarael said in a professional tone.

Only sighing, Edaan said, “You really want to know?” After seeing nods from everyone, aside from Artoo, who said “Affirmative” to display his agreement with the others, he said, “Fine. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. If Vestara, or anyone else, for that matter, were to find out about this, then my plans would be ruined. I mean that especially for you, Akku. I know how hard it is for you ”

“You have all of our words, especially mine. Supercommando’s honor.” Akku said with all of the honesty that he could muster.

“Well, it began twelve years ago, just before the Lost Tribe took over Coruscant. I was just accepted into the Jedi Order. And I was at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant when I first met Vestara. She was with Ben when she wanted to become a Jedi, and I ran into her. We talked for a long time, and…” He hesitated at this point, trying to assemble the words that would come next, before he settled on the following words and said, “she was the one who encouraged me to become a Jedi, and not be afraid of my gifts.”

“What do you mean, Edaan?” Atai said, curious as to where Edaan was going with this.

“Well… during my early childhood, I was plagued by the psychic pain of the scars that the Yuuzhan Vong left on Coruscant during their occupation, as well as the specter of my ancestor, Darth Sidious.” Upon hearing that name, everyone but Adari and Artoo gasped, shocked at this revelation that his ancestor was haunting his dreams for years.

“Whoa. No offense, but I see how it’s no wonder my mother fears you.” Armand said, reeling from this divulgence.

“You won’t get any argument there, Armand. Anyway, once my Force-sensitivity manifested, my family hid me from the outside world, as they feared that if I was discovered to be Force-sensitive, my family would be slaughtered due to their lineage, despite the name that they made for themselves as respectable and honest businessmen.” Edaan continued. “It was Vestara who convinced me to embrace my gifts, and promised that she would be there to help me learn to control my powers, and that we would be able to fight together as Jedi when I was old enough. Of course, then she, unfortunately, burned her bridges with the Jedi by killing Jedi Knight Natua Wan in order to save Ben from a Sith abomination, betraying Allana and her grandparents in order to stay alive from her former Tribe members, resulting in the death of Knight Bazel Warv, as well as killing over twenty-eight thousand workers in the Qreph Incident and murdering Senator Leuwet Wuul and most of his clan due to orders from the Qrephs.” He paused for a moment to gather his breath in order to continue.

“After she left the Jedi, I resolved to bring her back in order to redeem her, as I saw how broken Ben was without her, and as a result, I met my five true masters in my dreams: Tau, a former Force Hound that served the Rakata Infinite Empire before defecting to the Je’daii Order, Revan a Jedi and Sith Lord that fought three great evils in his time, Meetra Surik who defeated the Sith Triumvirate, Qui-Gon Jinn the one of the last Jedi in the old Order to retain their identity in the Force, and Jacen Solo/ Darth Caedus, hero of the Yuuzhan Vong War, and tragic, depending on your point of view, villain of the Second Galactic Civil War. They taught me all of their abilities, philosophies, tactics, strategies, and stories, which allowed me to grow at a pace far beyond my fellow younglings and padawans, and I spent many long hours in the Jedi Archives, learning all that I could in order to prepare for this day. I even learned how to create a Jedi holocron from their lessons, and used it to record all of their knowledge, as well as my own discoveries, journeys, and experiences for other light-sided Force users to see and hear.” As Edaan finished speaking, he got out of the compartment in order to head to his cabin, with Adari and the others right behind him.

After rummaging through all of his clothes and equipment for a full minute, he found the holocron, which, to everyone but Adari and Artoo, looked like a blue pyramid with bizarre etchings all around it.

“Eh… what is that?” Robonino hesitatingly said.

“Like I said. It’s the holocron that I created.” Edaan factually said, not catching the confused tone that his Patrolian comrade said.

“And… that’s supposed to hold all the wisdom of six great Jedi?” Jarael skeptically asked.

“You don’t believe me?” Edaan said with a hurt tone. “Fine, then I’ll prove it. Please follow me.” He defensively said before he got up from the bed and went into the main hall of the _Second Chance_ , got into a meditative position, and meditated on the Force, activating the holocron, causing it to float two feet off of the ground, its corners separated from the center, and a projection of Edaan himself to appear.

The image of Edaan then said, “ _Greetings. I am Edaan Palpatine. Do you wish to learn a lesson from me?_ ”

Edaan then concentrated harder in the Force, causing the projection to change from Edaan into Jacen, and then Revan, causing everyone to be amazed at what appeared to them as a marvel of a fusion of technology and the Force.

“Now _that_ is impressive.” Vua said.

“Indeed, Vua.” Edaan said before he deactivated the Holocron, causing it to return to its former position on the ground. “Now, if no one minds, I’m going to put the holocron away, and then apologize to everyone for my outburst, no matter how much it felt good to let out all of my frustrations and anger.”

“Probably a good idea. Oh, and you might want to help replace the broken equipment that you inadvertently destroyed.” Armand suggested in a friendly manner, earning a chuckle from Edaan.

“Yeah, good point.” Edaan conceded as put away his holocron in his cabin.

As everyone walked back to the war room, Armand suddenly asked, “So… you really think that you can redeem Vestara where your master, who was madly in love with her, by the way, failed?”

“I won’t know until I try, Armand. All I can do is go where the Force takes me, just as it guided Master Zao during the last years of the Old Republic and the first years of the First Galactic Empire.” Edaan responded, briefly wondering whatever became of the old Veknoid after he disappeared from the Hidden Temple that was rebuilt on Arkinnea by the Jedi Master K’Kruhk after the Clone War in order to track down a runaway Jedi Youngling by the name of Sidirri, who, before fleeing, showed signs of succumbing to the dark side of the Force.

“Well, at least you know your history, master.” Artoo said, causing everyone to laugh at the remark at Edaan’s extensive knowledge of history.

“Very funny, Artoo. Oh, and don’t call me ‘master.’ Just call me Edaan. We’re friends, are we not?”

“Absolutely, mas- I mean, Edaan.” Artoo said, correcting himself at the last moment.

_Ten Minutes Later, In the Briefing Room_

“This is ridiculous! We can’t bar Edaan from the war council. He’s the Shadow Alliance’s founder, for stars’ sakes. Without him, this alliance could fall apart!” Azzim fervently said as mechanics and technicians were hard at work repairing the consoles that Edaan destroyed. Thankfully, the consoles were cleanly ripped from their spots, and half of them were already repaired or replaced.

“As much as it pains me to agree with a Hutt, and a Jedi-sympathizing one at that, Azzim is right. Without him, all of Edaan’s underworld and civilian allies could leave us, depleting our forces significantly.” Venku stoically said, both relieving and offending Azzim for his rude defense of him.

“ _This is not permanent, everyone. It is just until Edaan regains control of himself after seeing all of those disturbing reports on Daala’s experiments._ ” Luke Skywalker said in a conciliatory tone.

“I agree with both sides. And I may have a solution. I propose that we give Edaan one day to get his bearings in order before he comes back to the war council.” Corran Horn suggested in an effort to please both sides.

As much as it nauseated him to agree with Corran, Boba could see the merits in that idea: Edaan had been badly shaken by Daala’s covert work, and needed time to process all of this in addition to his increasing mountain of responsibilities as a leading member of the Shadow Alliance. “We’re getting nowhere with this arguing. I say that we put Master Horn’s suggestion to a vote. All those in favor of suspending Edaan from the war council until-” As Fett spoke those last words, the doors to the briefing room slid open to reveal a composed Edaan on the other side of the door, along with his seven shipmates and Armand Vorn.

The nine beings quickly walked to the briefing table, where Edaan and Armand took their places around the briefing table, with Mirta moving out of the way to make room for Armand, and Edaan said “Before you guys vote on my suspension from the war council, I would like to say something.”

“Of course, Edaan.” Jaina said with honest courtesy, understanding the pain that he was going through, as she was close with many of the murdered Jedi that Daala and her minions experimented on, especially Tahiri Veila, as they had been friends since before the Yuuzhan Vong War.

“Thank you, Jaina.” Edaan gently said before clearing his throat, saying, “First off, I would like to apologize for what I said to everyone. While I may have been under a great deal of emotional pain, it was no excuse for my… outburst before half of the major powers in the galaxy. And second, this is the hardest for me, I ask to recuse myself from the war council until such a time as I am no longer deemed emotionally compromised, as said outburst revealed a great deal of stress and pain for me.”

“Request denied.” Boba Fett simply said, surprising everyone, especially Edaan, whose jaw was slack as a result of what Boba said.

“Why?” Trista Zel said, curious as to where the Mandalore was going with this remark.

“Because Edaan just displayed a great deal of character by apologizing for his speech, no matter how much everyone that he yelled at deserved it. And I can tell that, thanks to his loved ones, he is better now, and he won’t snap like that again.” Boba explained, shocking everyone by his defense of Edaan.

“Well, if everyone else agrees with _Mand’alor_ , then I’ll gladly return to the war council.” Edaan stoically said.

After everyone voted, with everyone but Trista Vel and Traest Kre’frey agreeing to let Edaan back onto the war council due to their doubts of his mental stability, they resumed the war meeting while the Jedi Council disconnected the Holonet channel, allowing the war council to discuss fleet arrangements, the positions of the ground forces, and preparing to move the civilians to the domed and desert city of Sundari for their safety, after forming a sufficient defense army and defense force to protect the civilians and noncombatants.

After two hours of going over planning, Edaan suddenly said, “One last matter to discuss. How many of you know of the Grey Cadre?”

“Weren’t they a group of advisors for the New Republic after the Thrawn Campaign and during the Dark Empire’s reign, and was led by General Jan Dodanna before he retired to New Alderaan where he died just before the Yuuzhan Vong invaded?” Goran Beviin asked in an academic tone.

“Precisely, Goran. Anyway, I propose that we recreate the Grey Cadre with Commodore Turk Brand, Admirals Kir Vantai and Firmus Nantz, General Etahn A’baht, and Senators Ponc Gavirsom, Releqy A'Kla, and Ta’laam Ranth. And yes, I know that including politicians is a risky move, but these three have much experience leading a government, and can help us run through all of the bureaucracy that exists in every government.” Edaan said as he explained his plan to the other councilors.

“And just who would this reformed Grey Cadre report to, Edaan?” Traest asked, hoping that Edaan didn’t suggest himself; otherwise he would have to shoot that idea down.

“The Shadow Alliance’s war council which is us, and Supreme Commander Bwua’tu, so no group or person would have any sway over them. They would be independent of the command structure, allowing them to give strategic advice to every one of us in order to improve and refine our strategies. Oh, and their marines would join the Void Jumpers under Bwua’tu’s command in order to bolster our forces with a few dozen extra recruits.” Edaan continued.

After considering the proposal, each of the members of the war council agreed to the idea, as it would give their new allies a chance to contribute for the defense of Mandalore.

 _Meanwhile, On the_ Chimeara _, In the Shogun System_

Natasi Daala was in a good mood, which was rare for her in this day and age, as she watched the intercepted transmission of Edaan railing at the Galactic Senate, Hapes Consortium, Jedi Council, and Fel Empire’s Moff Council for their incompetence.

“Let’s hope that Edaan’s ranting and whining will divide the Shadow Alliance, and make all of our jobs easier.” Wing Commander Nash Windrider said, earning a nod from every Jedi hunter, renegade Moff, and commander in the briefing room of the _Imperial-II_ Class Star Destroyer.

“Yeah. Those Jedi are always so high-and-mighty, no matter what era that they’re in.” Aurra gleefully said, causing Black Krrsantan and Fyor Rodan to chortle in amusement and agreement.

“All right everyone, let’s get back to work. We have only three days until the invasion begins, and we’re only at seventy-eight percent efficiency.” Daala said, disappointed that she couldn’t watch the holorecording anymore, but eager to get her hands on Edaan Palpatine in order to find a way to eliminate the Force. She hadn’t been so giddy since she captured Tahiri Veila five years ago, and tortured her for two months for revenge in killing her dear friend, Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, in cold blood on Darth Caedus’s orders, before having her dissected by Roly Melusar for his experiments in permanently severing a person’s connection to the Force.

 _I hope you have a high tolerance for pain, Edaan Palpatine, because I hope to deliver a galaxy’s worth of vengeance on you and your kind._ Natasi gleefully thought as she watched her fleet slowly but efficiently repair itself.

**And, that’s a wrap! Well, I hope that I made Edaan’s inner turmoil believable. Oh, and I’m sorry that I didn’t put in a flashback (unless you count this entire story), but I have never done one of those before, and I will put one in the fifth story, which I will call _Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War III: Tribulation_. It’s kind of fitting that I make every title in the last four books have a biblical reference, as Star Wars was partially inspired by the Bible. By the way, how is your reading going, as I am knee-deep in a good book about Antonin Scalia, and it is riveting? I recently got another political book for a bargain that I will not name in order to avoid offending anyone of differing beliefs, but I will say that it is illuminating, at least, according to the reviews that I’ve read about the book. Anyway, I hope all is well with you guys. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! Oh, and before I forget, I am very excited, because one of my favorite fanfictions, Outcast Effect, which is written by The Incredible Muffin, was just updated today, and this chapter was beyond brilliant! I implore all of you to read it, as it is the best crossover between Star Wars and Mass Effect of all time. Anyway, see you next time, so don’t forget to read and review. **

 


	10. Chapter 9

**Good day, all you _Star Wars_ lovers. What are you up to in such a fine day? I was busy helping at a food bank near my house for almost three hours, and then I stopped at Bojangles for some lunch, which was pretty good. Anyway, I’ve been following _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ since late 2013, and, even though I know that Superman will recover, and it might offend a few Superman fans, but I wish he had died of Kryptonite poison that Hawkman inflicted on him. I am currently watching the _O’Reiley Factor_ episode of July 26, and it is very educational, to say the least. By the way, how many of you guys, and girls, of course, are excited for the return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode (The 2012 TV Series), “City At War”, on August 14, 2016, because I know I am? I am eager to see April’s new suit, and the return of Karai on the side of the Ninja Turtles and her father. So, with only two days, in the _Star Wars_ timeline that I’m creating, not in real life, left until the Invasion of Mandalore can begin, let’s get started on the next chapter of my story. Oh, and one more thing, this chapter will borrow another scene from _X-Men: Days of Future Past_. Just try and guess what scene that is after you’ve read this chapter. **

_Day 52 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation 1215 Hours_

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

_Onboard the_ Slave I

Corran Horn was deep in thought as he pondered his next move. The dejarik game onboard Boba Fett’s ship, with Boba Fett, no less, had gone on for approximately forty minutes, with both players losing a quarter of their pieces, but neither participant was willing to concede defeat until the last game piece on their side was down.

“You should be proud of him, Horn.” Boba suddenly said, snapping Corran from his train of thought.

“Proud of who for what, Fett?” Corran curiously asked, wondering why Boba was finally speaking since this match began.

“Proud of Edaan, of course. He’s out there fighting for your cause, and not afraid to break through all of the red tape that politics has placed in order to hamper your ability to work.”

“You mean _his_ cause. The rest of the Council only agreed to Edaan’s plan in order to flush the remaining Sith and their allies out of hiding. Taking down Natasi Daala and her Jedi hunters is just a nice bonus.” Corran replied.

“Still holding a grudge against her for imprisoning your children in carbonite?” Fett asked with a faint smile on his lips.

“And for butchering my daughter for just being born with special talents.” Corran gournd out, now angry at Boba’s lack of sensitivity to his personal crisis, and remembering how he told his remaining family, which included his son, Valin Horn, his wife, Mirax Terrik Horn, and his father-in-law, Booster Terrik, who was nearing one hundred years old, which didn’t surprise Corran, as that old smuggler was too stubborn to die. This revelation reopened new wounds in the family, and Corran promised to bring Daala to justice for her crimes against not just the Jedi, but their family.

“Now you know what it’s like to lose a child due to psychopaths.” Fett said, before softening his tone and saying, “You have my sympathies, for what it’s worth.”

Too shocked at Boba’s reply to the Jedi’s anger, Corran numbly nodded and asked, “Why did you want me here, Fett?”

“To learn more about who I’m working with. Out of all the Jedi that are still around, you and Edaan have the most respect of me and my people, and that doesn’t include Jaina since she left your order to found the Imperial Knights and the Fel Empire.” Boba said with a hint of disdain at the end, which Corran understood, as he had a few doubts about the Imperial Knights as well, but neither warrior was going to turn away their help at this crucial moment in history.

“Why us? I mean, I can understand why you distrust Luke, Leia, and Ben, but why not other Jedi like Saba Sabatyne and Barratk’l? as they are great warriors and leaders with the Jedi Order.”

“Because you two know what it’s like to truly live and fight among normal people as ordinary individuals, and, besides the Skywalkers and Solos, come from a great line of warriors, for you, Nejaa Halcyon, and for Edaan, Jedi Prince Ken, that have fought in many wars.”

Corran didn’t know what to say in response, so he just moved his K’lor’slug forward in order to take down Boba’s Mantellian Savrip, which he succeeded.

“Good move, Horn.” Boba complimented.

“Why do you think that the Council should be proud of Edaan?” Corran simply asked in reply to Boba’s compliment.

“Because he’s willing to risk everything, mind, body, and soul for what he believes in, regardless of what the rest of the galaxy, even his own order, thinks. Personally, I think he’s too idealistic, but, then again, maybe it’s the old bounty hunter and Mandalorian in me talking. Anyway, he isn’t afraid to get his hands truly dirty in order to achieve his goals, and is willing to work with people from all walks of life, even some of the _Vongese_ , which I don’t get, but then again, all Jedi are weird in my eyes.” Boba explained.

“Yeah, we’re a strange bunch.”

“Glad to see that you’ve acknowledged it, Horn. Maybe you’re not as dumb as I thought.”

Corran chuckled at the remark, before saying, “Why do you truly respect Edaan?”

Taking a moment to consider the question, Boba said, “Because he understands a person’s pain, and is willing to work alongside them in order to help them, not force them to accept his way of thinking. And he’s a brilliant leader who, despite his overabounding compassion, which I think is unneeded at this point, but its served us well so far, so I won’t object to his use of it, has backed up his claims by bringing back my granddaughter and great-grandchildren to our side. He’s also worked alongside my best agents in order to prove himself to both my people, and his as well.”

“Yeah, that’s Edaan for you.” Corran humorously said, before adopting a serious look in his eyes and asked, “Do you think that Edaan has a chance at Redeeming Vestara Khai? I mean, he was able to bring Mirta back safely, and everyone thought that she was a lost cause.”

After looking down at the dejarik board for five minutes, Boba simply said, “I believe that he will give it his best shot. But let’s not forget that Mirta severely doubted Daala’s cause by the time she defected back to us, and Vestara will not likely have any such doubt. Edaan said that he had three secret weapons that he had to use against Vestara, but there’s no telling whether or not they will be effective.”

“True. But Edaan isn’t your average Jedi. He’s the kind of leader that the galaxy hasn’t seen since Admiral Ackbar during the First Galactic Civil War, and that ended almost forty years ago.”

“Funny, I was thinking that you would refer to Revan, as he was a legendary Jedi who had many names, the most famous one was The Prodigal Knight, and he is still highly respected among my people for his exploits as a leader during the Mandalorian Wars, including the hard decision to sacrifice countless Jedi and Republic soldiers at Malachor V in order to finally end that bloody and pointless war, what with what we now know about Vitiate and his plans to consume all life in the galaxy in order to become truly immortal.”

Corran’s eyes widened sharply at the remark as he said, “How did you find out about that?! I thought that only the Jedi Council knew the full details of the Mandalorian Wars.” Suddenly, like getting punched in the gut, the possible answer hit him as he said, “Did Edaan tell you?”

“No, Horn. The Mandalorian clans have known about it for centuries, and that’s one of the reasons why we don’t often trust Force users, the Sith and Jedi especially, present company excluded, of course. You know, Jaing Skirata told me that his _buir_ , Kal Skirata, once said that, despite the Jedi Order’s best efforts to cover up the truth there’s always going to be known by someone.” Boba said in a lecturing tone.

“Oh. That’s good. For a minute there, I was afraid that Edaan went and blabbed all of his knowledge of the Order’s confidential records to you.” Corran said, relieved that he

“Don’t worry, that kid does know how to keep a secret.” Fett said as they continued their game until Boba narrowly won by keeping his Mantellian Savrip and destroying Corran’s Kintan Strider.

“Good game, Fett.” Corran said with a good deal of respect in his tone as he got up from his seat in order to return to keeping his StealthX in peak condition in order to lead his squadron of Jedi starfighters..

“You too, Horn.” Boba said as he also got up in order to see how the war preparations were going with his people.

_Meanwhile, In Orbit Above Kyrimorut_

_Onboard the_ Spectre

The Shi’ido, Colovo, was not in a particularly good mood right now onboard his flagship, the Imperial Light Cruiser that was called the _Spectre_ in order to honor the Lothal Rebels that were alternatively known as “The Spectres.” Despite his loyalty to Edaan Palpatine, he and his fellow Black Sun Vigo, Durge, were placed in a minor command role, subordinate to Azzim Anjilic Atirue in the command structure as his advisors in order to effectively command the Black Sun deserters. Personally, he wished that he was a member of the war council, but he could understand his superiors’ suspicions about him and Durge. That did not mean that he had to be happy about it, however.

Even if the Jedi and their allies, except for Edaan and his crew, did not fully trust him and Durge, that did not mean that he would betray them. That just meant that he would work twice as hard in order to prove his trust. And, if he did, he would hopefully get a better position within the Shadow Alliance with better pay and command, as he had to think of his future beyond Edaan’s mission to redeem Sith Lady Vestara Khai, and the shadow Alliance’s eventual disbandment.

He was so wrapped up in his drams of grandeur that he did not hear the loud footprints come from behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when a deep voice said, “Something wrong, Vigo Colovo?”

Years of healthy paranoia having kept the Shi’ido alive, he half-expected an ambush by one of Daala’s spies, he prepared to shapeshift into a wampa in order to gut the assassin, but was instead surprised to see a giant Togorian with Jedi robes and a lightsaber stand in front of him.

“Ah, Jedi… Bhixen, am I correct?” Colovo said in a collected tone as he struggled to regain his composure and slow his rapidly bearing heart down to its normal beat.

“That is correct, Vigo Colovo. I just came here after speaking with Vigo Durge, and I find him to be an excellent conversationalist, and a decent man, which I, no offense, found surprising considering his former position within the criminal organization of Black Sun. Normally, the Jedi arrest such criminals, but I guess war makes strange allies.” Bhixen said as he and the former vigo began to walk throughout the hallways of the Imperial Light Cruiser.

“Oh, no offense taken, Jedi Bhixen. We’ve been called worse things than ‘criminals,’ such as the scum of the galaxy and no better than Daala and her slavers, and two of those derogatory terms were from our own allies, such as Empress Fel of the Fel Empire, and Agent Trista Zel of the Hapes Consortuim. Those two ladies are really high-strung, by the way.” Colovo said, whispering at the end, hoping that no Imperials of Hapans within thirty feet of the Shi’ido and Togorian.

“No argument there, but let’s not forget that each they have to help lead a major galactic power.” Bhixen said in defense of the two women.

“Fair enough.” Colovo said, conceding the point. “So, are you ready for the big battle?”

Only sighing at the question, Bhixen then said, “I honestly don’t know.” Before continuing to speak, he look out to space through a window that was made entirely out of transparisteel. “When I was a youngling, I wanted nothing more than to go off into battle against the Stih and all of the Jedi’s enemies. As a result of my pride and impatience, I was almost expelled from the Jedi Order, and it was only due to the defense of Master Horn, and my own realization of my fatal flaws, that I was able to become a padawan under him and become a Jedi Knight. Ever since that day where I nearly was expelled, I’ve worked so hard to rise above my pride and narrowness, and think of others ahead of myself.”

“Well, judging by the way that you’ve carried yourself over the last few weeks, I’d say that you’re doing a fine job of being a model Jedi.” Colovo said, bringing a smile to Bhixen’s face.

“Thanks, Vigo Colovo, but I’m nowhere near as good as Edaan. While I’ve been around putting out minor incidents, Edaan’s been building a alliance that no one’s seen since the Yuuzhan Vong War, and he’s heading right for the storm that’s casuing all of these small brushfires.”

“You know what makes Edaan so great? He doesn’t hold one person above anyone else, well, except for Vestara, of course. He tries to connect with everyone he can in order to help them, no matter how damaged they might be, whether it’s mentally, physically, or spiritually, and he treats everyone like true equals. Just try to remember that, and you’ll be a great Jedi and person.” Colovo said in a grandfatherly kind of tone.

“Thank you, Vigo Colovo.” Bhixen said with much gratitude in his voice, causing the Shi’ido to warmly chuckle like someone had just told an old but funny joke.

“Oh, just call me Colovo, as I’m not a vigo anymore.” The former vigo said.

“Well, in that case, just call me Bhixen. Anyway, I’d better get back to inspecting the fleet, as Master Dorvald and I have fifty more ships ot inspect by the end of the day, and the Hutts are up next on our list. I’m sure that they want this inspection out of the way just as much as I do.”

“You’re still eager for a fight, aren’t you, Bhixen?” Colovo amusingly asked the twenty-seven-year-old Jedi.

“Not as much as when I was sixteen, but yes, I am.” Bhixen said with just a hint of a smile evident on his face.

“Well, it was good talking to you, Bhixen. Let yourself out.” Colovo said as he went to the bridge to get an engines check from the head of the engineering team.

 _Well, that was a nice chat._ Bhixen thought to himself as he went to the hangar that was housing his StealthX fighter in order to fly to the Hutt fleet’s flagship, the _chelandion_ -class warship, the _Varl’s Memory_ , and continue his half of the inspection.

_Meanwhile, Back on Mandalore, In Keldabe_

Goran Beviin was slightly nervous right now, which was understandable right now, as he was two feet from a Yuuzhan Vong, a race that he despised with every fiber of his being, one specifically named Vua Rapuung, that was a part of Edaan Palpatine’s crew, and he was losing a drinking contest in the oldest cantina on the planet of Mandalore, the _Oyu’baat_ , with forty Mandalorians and twenty civilians watching the competition with undisguised interest.

 _How in the_ manda _can I be losing a drinking game to a_ Vongese _?_ Goran incredulously thought as he went into overdrive in order to drink as much _kri’gee_ as his opponent, who had, so far, gulped down ten shots of the very potent ale. He quickly caught up to his rival, who had by then gulped down two additional shots of the drink, but was beginning to slow down as the alcohol began to take effect.

By the time that each warrior reached the fifteenth drink, the potency of the alcohol took full effect, causing the two fighters to uncontrollably retch their fluids for five full minutes. The crowd that surrounded the two individuals dispersed, not wanting to get their clothes or bodies covered in vomit. After another seven minutes, both Goran and Vua had recovered enough from their stomach attacks to sit by their table.

“Ohhhh… That was a good match, Vua.” Goran slowly said, as he needed to take his time to process his alcohol-addled thoughts. “If you weren’r a _vongese_ , you’d make a fine mando.”

“Thankssss, Goran, but I’m fine with sssserving with m-my friendssss and Edaan. They’re more reputable than you Mandaloriansssss, no offensssse.” Vua slurred out, his mind in a similar haze as well.

“Oh, none taken, Vua. We’ve been called worse things than that, such as thugs, slavers, and the scum of the galaxy, and that’s by ordinary civilians. In fact, Medrit was once-” Goran abruptly stopped, and he began to silently cry, causing Vua to grow concerned.

“Goran? Who was Medrit? Was he your brother?” He asked in a gentle tone, not wanting his comrade and newfound friend to grow even more upset.

“No, he…” Goran hesitated for a instant, debating whether or not to tell Vua about his losses due to this blasted war. “He was my husband.” This caused Vua’s eyes to abruptly widen completely due to shock, as he had rarely heard of a same-sex couple, since the Yuuzhan Vong had, and still do, outlawed same-sex relationships many millennia ago, and only a few people had practiced it in this galaxy.

“Oh.”Vua simply said, not wanting to offend his grieving friend. “Did-did the war kill him?” he hesitatingly asked.

Goran nodded, and then said, “Belok Rhal personally killed him two years ago today. He was deep undercover within Daala’s ranks in order to assist Jaing Skirata, but Belok found him out and butchered him in order to ensure the loyalty of his men. He was always a stain on Mandalorian honor, but I’ve vowed to kill him with my own two hands ever since Medrit was murdered.”

“I understand, more than you know.” Vua said, before deciding to trust his new friend with his darkest secret. “My wife was a fellow Extolled, that’s a former Shamed One, in case you were wondering, that resided on Rodia. Vengeful Bothans who still followed the genocidal practice of _Ar’krai_ captured her. They took her to Coruscant and tortured for days before I found her in the underworld. She was so weak and disabled that I had to put her out of her misery in order to end her suffering. I then began to hunt down the Bothans who killed her, and it was then that I first met Edaan. He was but a child at the time, not even a Jedi, and he helped me conquer the anger in my heart, and I helped arrest the remaining Bothans that killed my wife. I then pledged my life to Edaan, and then, one year later, he told me of his hope to redeem Vestara Khai, and I agreed to assist him when the time came. That’s why I was a gladiator for so many years after I avenged my wife, to patiently wait until the time that Edaan needed me for his cause.”

“That’s rough, buddy” Goran simply said after contemplating this revelation revealed by his friend.

“Yeah. I like to think that I’m a good person, even though a lot of people think otherwise. And I think that you’re a good person, despite your rough exterior.” Vua responded to Goran’s sympathy. “Do you think that we can win this war and defeat the Sith?” He suddenly asked the Mandalorian, now, thanks to his digestive system and experience with alcohol, fully recovered from the hangover.

“Well, that’s a tough question, Vua. I will say that, thanks to Edaan, we have a good chance at ending this civil war with the reinforcements that we have, but the Sith are another matter. They don’t play by our rules, and are just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Jedi.”

“True, but the Jedi were able to stop the annihilation of all life as we know it by my people, so that makes them better than the Sith in my books.” Vua calmly countered.

“Fair enough, but, let’s not forget that the Jedi caused four Great Schisms that resulted in so much death and destruction, and the rise of the Sith in two separate occasions.” Goran replied in a factual tone.

“You know your history, Goran.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be Mandalor’s fixer if I couldn’t gather simple historical information.” Goran smugly said.

 _Onboard the_ Second Chance _2100 Hours_

“How did your day go, love?” Edaan saucily asked his wife as she snuggled into bed beside him and nuzzled her head on his bare chest while he rubbed his hand over her bare back.

“Excellent, dear. I helped Atai prepare the _Second Chance_ for combat, as we’re going to be in the defense force guarding Keldabe from any incursions, gave Bwua’tu a list of all of the forces under his command, and taught the last class on Teräs Käsi for all of my students. So… business as usual, I guess. How about you?”

“Well, I helped plan the defense strategy for repelling Daala’s fleet, coordinated the last of the supplies that the volunteers from the Imperial Mission, as well as the former workers of Xasha’s cult, brought us, trained with Master Barratk’l in order to brush up on my lightsaber technique, and bedded the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.” He added that part with a lopsided smile, which was infectious, and soon enough, Adari was smiling with a grin that went from ear to ear, and kissed him passionately on the lips.

As soon as the kiss ended, they each said “Love you.” and went to sleep. Soon enough, Edaan was visited by his five true masters in his subconscious.

“ _You’ve done well for yourself, Edaan._ ” Jacen Solo said. “ _Marrying a beautiful and strong woman, building an alliance that the galaxy hasn’t seen in almost twenty years, and taking the fight to the Sith and their minions._ ”

“ _Indeed, young Jedi. You just might have a chance at succeeding in your suicidal quest._ ” Revan humorously said.

“You’re one to talk, Revan. Didn’t you redeem your future wife from Darth Malak’s grip and succeeded in slowing down the invasion of Vitiate’s Empire by several hundred years?” Edaan countered.

“ _Edaan, this is not merely a social visit. We have come to tell you that we will not be able to contact you until Natasi Daala’s invasion of Mandalore is ended. The death, destruction, and the strength of the dark side will be too strong for us to speak with you._ ” Qui-Gon Jinn warned his pupil.

“Good to know.” Edaan sarcastically said, before getting serious and saying, “Do you have any any last-minute advice for me before you return to the Netherworld of the Force?”

“ _Trust your friends and comrades. They will help you overcome the guilt and anger that plauges your heart._ ” Meetra Surik said, getting right to the point, which Edaan greatly appreciated, knowing that she was referring to the deceased Jedi that Daala and Melusar had butchered, and he was tired of dancing around the issues that many politicians would like to avoid these days.

“ _And above all, don’t lose your connection to the light side of the Force, and your emotions. They will help you survive the tribulations and trials that will soon arrive._ ” Tau grimly said.

“What do you mean, master? What ‘tribulations and trials’ do you mean?” Edaan asked with concern.

“ _You must discover this for yourself, my friend._ ” Jacen said before all five of Edaan’s masters began to dissipate into the fog that surrounded Edaan.

Before they completely disappeared, the five deceased Jedi said, “ _May the Force be with you, Edaan Palpatine._ ”

_0235 Hours_

Edaan awoke with a start, and his abrupt awakening caused his wife to stir as she also awoke.

“Bad dreams, luv?” she gently said.

“No, just a warning of things to come.” Edaan truthfully said, knowing that it would be impossible to lie to Adari. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be right behind you.” he tenderly said.

Just as Edaan was about to completely fall asleep, he prayed to the Force to protect his loved ones from harm in the dark days to come.

**Well, that was an enjoyable chapter. Now, before some of you get into a fit, let me explain myself. No, I, personally, do not approve of homosexuality, and am not picking up any content of the new canon, except for _Star Wars:_ _Lords of the Sith_ and _Star Wars: Rebel Jail_ , that includes homosexuality, as it would go against my principles. However, that does not mean that I despise people that practice homosexuality, as long as they respect the beliefs of others, of course. I, personally, know a girl at my community college that dates another girl, and I consider her to be a good person. Now, onto Medrit, I killed him to provide motivation for Goran to want to kill Belok, and I plan to use that in the distant future. If you want to know more about Goran and Medrit, go and pick up the _Legacy of the Force_ series, as I find all Legends books, except for _Crucible_ , of course, to be good and enjoyable. Oh, and just a warning: After August 15th, my updates will be a bit sporadic, as my fall semester for community college will begin on that day. Sorry if that disappoints you, but I have responsibilities, just like any other person. I hope to get as much done in this story as possible in that time period, but the most I can promise is probably three more chapters before school starts. One last thing, only two more chapters until the final battle of the Second Mandalorian Civil War begins! Are you excited, because I know that I am? Anyway, stay with me, as this is going to be my first major battle in space and on the ground, so it may be a bit sloppy, to say the least. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! **


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello, my loyal fans. How are you doing on such a fine day? I am fine, as I walked around my neighborhood in order to get some much-needed exercise in order to lose some weight. I also read more of my Scalia book, and it is riveting and informative, to put it lightly. Oh, and have you heard the news that _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire_ , is going to end on August 11th, (August 9th for early access subscribers of the MMORPG) and _Knights of the Eternal Throne_ will begin this fall. I don’t know about you, but I am excited for the next expansion, and I don’t even play the game. I am currently watching _Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_ on TNT, and I always love this saga of mvoies. Anyway, I have to be honest with all of you today: I am gravely concerned with the state of the world right now, as I have been watching and listening to some of the news. Look at all of the death, abuse, and destruction that is going on all around us in virtually every country in the world, and look at all of the people that ae trying to take advantage of the chaos in order to further their own agendas (In order to avoid offending anyone, I will not name names or organizations) and gain even more power than they already have. It makes me sick to my stomach and soul to see power taken away from the rightful hands, anad placed in evil hands. I am sorry if I offend some of you with this, but may the Lord watch over all of us in these dark days that I fear are coming for the world, even though every year seems like a dark one somewhere in the world. Anyway, with all of the doom and gloom that goes on in the real world out of the way, let’s get on with the story, as this is the last chapter before the final battle of the Second Mandalorian Civil War begins, so it will be a big one (perhaps the biggest one that I’ve ever written as of yet), and, once the Civil War ends, we can get on with the true war. Oops, I just gave away some important information about the story. Sorry (not really). So, go ahead and guess what it is, I dare you, as it is so obvious. **

_Day 53 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation. 1200 Hours_

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

Edaan Palpatine was antsy, which was unusual for him, but understandable, as his whole body was tense for what was to come the next day, and he was pacing from the left to the right outside of the city of Kyrimorut. Everywhere he went, he saw people looking grim and nervous. Even the planet reflected the tension that existed in most of the people that still remained in Kyrimorut and the rest of the cities, farms, and deserts that covered the planet, as intense lightning storms covered the skies of the entire planet, and heavy rain was pouring down in every location from the ancient city and capital of Mandalore, Keldabe, to the domed so-called utopia that was the former capital of the New Mandalorians, Sundari, to Kyrimorut, the former refuge of fugitives from the First Galactic Empire and now bustling city of war and trade, and everywhere in between the three cities.

“Can’t stay still, Edaan?” A male voice from behind said, startling a soaking Edaan, who nearly jumped in shock, turned around, grabbed the lightsaber from his belt, and prepared to ignite the blade before he saw who was standing behind him.

“Oh, it’s _you two_.” Edaan vehemently said, more than a little annoyed that his train of thought of mentally preparing for Daala’s demented power grab of the galaxy, beginning with the invasion of Mandalore, was interrupted by none other than Boba Fett, who exhibited a rare smug grin on his face, and Mirta Gev, who shared a silly look on her face and was uncharacteristically giggling at the sight of the vaunted Edaan Palpatine lose his cool. After taking a moment to ease his frazzled nerves, he calmly said, “Is there something that I can do for the two of you?”

“Well, Edaan, as a matter of fact, there is. You can tell us why you’re not at Keldabe with the rest of your crew and leaders of the Shadow Alliance, drinking and eating your guts out at the _Oyu’baat_ , and enjoying the last day before Daala comes to the slaughterhouse.” Mirta factually said, offended the Edaan had not figured out why they were here.

“Uh… since when ar you two the party type?” Edaan skeptically asked, confused as to why two of the most stoic and serious warriors that have ever existed in recent history were encouraging him to cut loose and let go of all inhibitions before a massive invasion.

“Since we now know that any of us could die at any given time during Daala’s invasion, and everyone deserves one last day to have some fun before we throw ourselves into the fray.” Boba replied.

“Okay… Well, I never figured that the two of you would encourage me to go wild.” After seeing that neither Mandalorian would relent in getting Edaan to go to the celebration, he said, “Well, you mandos have always had a reputation for unconventional plans, and you prefer to celebrate before or during a big battle, so I guess that I shouldn’t be too surprised.” After huffing in defeat, he said, “Fine, you win. But I am not getting drunk. I want to be of sound mind when Daala comes and we kick her in the _shebs_.”

“Funny, that’s what Bwua’tu, Adari, Kre’frey, Nevil, the members of the reconstituted Grey Cadre, and your Jedi and Imperial Knight friends said.” Mirta commented.

“Well, they _do_ have a battle to lead tomorrow.” Edaan countered as the three warriors headed for the landspeeder that would take the three people to Keldabe.

_Meanwhile, On Shedu Maad, In the Jedi Temple_

“What’s the status of the Shadow Alliance’s readiness for Daala’s invasion?” Luke Skywalker asked the holograms of Corran Horn, Barratk’l, Seha Dorvald, Jaden Korr, Bhixen, and Jaina Solo Fel.

“ _Well, Luke, aside from almost everyone getting drunk from Mandalorian ale at this moment in the bars at Keldabe, the preparations are ready: The fleet has taken defensive positions in orbit above Mandalore, the army has been stationed across the planet, and the civilains and Imperial Mission workers have been placed in the domed city of Sundari, which has been repurposed to house the majority of the wounded, children, and elderly._ ” Battark’ l said.

“ _Well, Mandalorians do know how to throw a party._ ” Jaina said, remembering the celebration that occurred after Mirta Gev and Ghes Orade’s wedding, and how much food and ale was served at that event.

“Why isn’t Edaan at this briefing?” Kyle Katarn inquired, wondering what the young man was up to this time.

“Well, according to Mirta and Fett, he’s going with both of them to the celebrations going on at Keldabe.” Bhixen said, more than a little irritated that a person that he admired very much would not attend the final meeting that the Jedi Order and their Imperial cousins in the Force were having at this moment.

“So he decided to bail on a vital meeting with us in order to hang with some mercenaries?!” Han Solo incredulously said.

“ _Actually, Dad, he didn’t know about the meeting, as we told Adari, who forgot to tell him before she went to Keldabe. Anyway, Fett and Mirta managed to convince him to come along, and, as soon as the meeting is over, we’re going to join them in having a little fun before the final battle begins.Oh, and Edaan promised not to get drunk during the celebrations._ ” Jaina said in order to defend a person, Jedi, and leader that she had grown to respect very much.

“Well, at least we know that Edaan can be responsible.” Kyp Durron joked, earning a few chuckles from everyone in the Council Chambers, as well as a tilt of Saba Sabatyne’s head, who did not understand the joke.

“Is it just me, or is Edaan becoming a little too much like a Mandalorian to you?” Ben suddenly and apprehensively said.

“So he’s spending a lot of time with them. It doesn’t mean anything.” Kyp said.

“Okay, what about his outburst two days ago? His tirade could have jepordized our relations with the Galactic Alliance and every other major power in the galaxy. We were lucky that the majority of the leaders were sympathetic to Edaan’s plight” Ben continued, not willing to abandon the argument without a fight.

“Ben, he just found out the names of the dozen Jedi that Daala and her subordinates had experimented on, as well as the list of every Force-sensitve that she had murdered since the Yuuzhan Vong War. I was pretty angry and disturbed myself when I found out the news, and I’ve had over fifty years to gain control of my emotions.” Luke said, his face frowning at his son’s lack of sympathy, causing Ben to cringe at his father’s disapproving glare. “And let’s not forget that he has Meetra Surik’s ability to connect with beings on a level that few beings have ever achieved, which means that he can feel the pain of others on a psychic level, and he must have felt overwhelmed by all of the dark emotions and pain that he felt over the years, not to mention how he’s planned to go after Vestara Khai after all of these years in a bold attempt to redeem her, which added to his stress, which must have boiled over when he found out about Daala’s secret projects.”

After looking around and seeing the majority of people present, with the exception of Han Master Sabatyne, and Bhixen, nodding their heads in agreement with Luke’s sentiment, Ben lowered his head in defeat, and said, “I see your point, father.”

“Good.” Luke said, motioning for the five Jedi and Galactic Empress to contimue with the briefing. “How are the Imperial Knights faring under your command, Empress Fel?”

“ _Very well, Uncle Luke. They are adapting well to the new environment, and are bonding well with the troops under everyone’s command. And, for the last time, just call me ‘Jaina.’ It drives my crazy to be called ‘Empress’ every time I’m spoken to._ ” Jaina admonished her uncle.

After chuckling at his niece’s remark, Jaina’s mother, Leia Organa Solo, asked, “Are you sure that we can’t get anymore Jedi to support the Shadow Alliance, Jaina? We’ve prepared to send a wing of StealthX starfighters as reinforcements to Mandalore that can get there within two days if we leave now.”

Jaina sighed, and said, “ _Sorry, Mom, but Fett was adamant in his terms of reinforcements, and no more Force-users were allowed to be sent to aid him was the main part of the agreement. Like I’ve said before, we were lucky to get him to accept any Jedi and Imperial Knights over to his side at all after Roche._ ”

“Honestly, it happened sixteen years ago. How long can he hold that over us?” the Mon Calamari member of the Jedi Council, Cighal, said, more than a little exasperated over what she perceived to be a lack of pragmatism on Fett’s part. “He would have sacrificed our lives if it meant securing Mandalore’s place in the galaxy, and it was during a war.” She continued.

“ _Don’t forget that it was a Jedi, Mace Windu, no less, who beheaded his father seventy-eight years ago during the First Battle of Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone War._ ” Corran Horn reminded Cighal, who nodded in acknowledgement to Corran’s point, having forgotten that crucial fact. “ _And, anyway, we are getting off topic here. I recommend that we keep the StealthX wing on high alert if we need to call you in order to give the order to lauch._ ”

“By the time that they lauch, the situation may be too desperate for victory, as it will take three, maybe two days, if we’re lucky, before they arrive from here. We will need to move the StealhXs closer to Mandalore if they are to have any impact on the battle.” Kam Solusar said.

“ _I have a suggestion._ _How about a planet that goes by the name of Pheada?_ ” Jaina suggested. “ _It’s out of the way from most of the major trade routes, it has several decent spaceports, which means that we can split up the wing in order to avoid attention to the itself, it’s in the Empire’s Outer Rim Territories, which means that Jag can lockdown wherever the StralthX wing decides to hide at, and it’s only a few sectors away from Mandalore, which means that it will be at most a day away from Mandalore if they need to come and help._ ”

“I agree with Jaina, but, if we go through with this, we should avoid having Masters Skywalker and Solo, Captain Solo, and Knight Skywalker go there, as many Mandalorians have healthy resentment of you guys due to… past events.” Kyle Katarn said, agreeing with the galactic empress, but wanting to make sure that the Jedi Council had covered all of its bases before they decided to commit any further Jedi to the Second Mandalorian Civil War.

“Now, hold on, I can understand Master Skywalker, Knight Skywalker, and Captain Solo wanting to stay away from Mandalore, but what about Master Solo? She did get along well with the previous Mandalore, Fenn Shysa, as well as the soldiers under his command during the Galactic Civil War and the Nagai-Tof War.” Tionne Solosar inquired, referring to the Liberation of Mandalore and the Battle of Mindor, the two major battles of the former war that Fenn Shysa was involved in, and the brief but deadly war that occurred in the month after the Battle of Endor, which was the Nagai-Tof War.

“That’s true, but, let’s not forget that that was several years before Leia began her long training as a Jedi, and most Mandalorians these days don’t have many warm feelings about us, or any group of Force-users, for that matter.” Kyle reminded the Jedi Council’s leading historian. “Which is why that I will go to lead the StealthX wing personally, and Master Durron will be my second-in-command, as Master Durron has much experience with leading fighter squadrons into battle.” This sentence caused everyone to look at Kyle with differing amounts of surprise, as the current Jedi Grand Master had not gone on a mission for over a year due to the rising number of critical situations boiling over across the galaxy.

“Forgive me, Grand Master Katarn, but are you sure that that is wise? We already have two Council members involved at Mandalore, and it would significantly hurt the Order if we were to lose four Council members due to the civil war going on there.” K’Kruhk said, speaking for the first time during the meeting.

“Surely the Jedi Council can make do without its Grand Master for a little while. And make that _five_ masters.” T’ra Saa suddenly announced, further shocking everyone, as T’ra Saa had been teaching Jedi Younglings basic Force skills ever since she had been rediscovered by Edaan. “I may not be an excellent pilot, but I can assist the Shadow Alliance in less direct, but still important means.” She continued.

“What do you mean, Master Saa?” Luke asked, wondering just where the Neti Jedi Master was going with this conversation.

“In my spare time, Master Skywalker, I have been studying and practicing the rare art of Battle Meditation, and I believe that I can now apply it into a major battle. I am unsure that I can do it on the scale of many legendary Jedi such as Master Thon, Bastila and Satele Shan, Oppo Rancisis, and Madurrin, but I believe that I can make a difference in the coming battle.” T’ra Saa explained, amazing everyone that she had learned such a rare Force technique with so little time to train.”If Jaina were to requisition one or two more Star Destroyers for the use of the StealthX wing, I could use the ship as the perfect location to apply Battle Meditation, but I would have to be within the Mandalore system in order for it to be used to maximum efficiency.” She continued.

Once a full minute had passed since T’ra Saa made her revelation known, Han Solo said, “It makes sense to me. This civil war needs to be resolved as soon as possible, so we should send the best of the best that the Jedi Order has to offer. I’d go myself, but, like Kyle said, we can’t afford to offend the Mandalorians any further.” This opinion further surprised the Jedi Council, his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law especially, as Han was not known for being subtle, when he instead preferred to favor bold and direct action.

“ _Forgive me for asking, Dad, but are you alright? It’s not ususally your style to be sneaky and cautious._ ” Jaina hesitatingly said, not wanting to offend her father.

“Hey! I can be sneaky if the situation requires it. Remember the time I told you of how your mother and I went undercover on Tatooine in order to recover the Killik Twilight from Grand Admiral Thrawn?” Han said, faux offended by Jaina’s questioning of his methods and sanity.

“ _Yes, Dad. I remember that story all too well._ ” Jaina said in false boredom, amusing everyone present.

“ _Anyway…_ ” Bhixen hesitatingly said, not wanting to offend or irritate anyone by speaking out of turn, “ _I don’t wish to rush things along, but do you think that we can move forward with the meeting, as we probably have less than twenty-four hours until Daala’s fleet arrives._ ”

“Knight Bhixen is right.” Barratk’l said before continuing. “This discussion is getting us nowhere. I suggest that we put the matter regarding the StealthX wing up to a vote. All in favor?” Every Jedi Council Member, including, Luke and Leia, who had taken up temporary positions on the Council to make up for the absences of Corran and Barratk’l, raised their right hand in showing that they supported sending the StealthX wing to Pheada.

“Very well. We will launch the StealthX wing within three days. Jaina, can you requisition two Star Destroyers for the wing’s usage?” Luke asked his niece.

“ _That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, Uncle Luke. Jag can say that they’re at Pheada on a troop training exercise in the deserts of the planet, and they can house the X-wings until Fett agrees to receive Jedi reinforcements._ ” Jaina assured the former Jedi Grand Master.

“ _If_ he agrees to take the reinforcements.” Han cautiously said, knowing his former enemy very well, and proving that by saying, “Fett may be a very pragmatic and clever person when it comes to his two professions of being a bounty hunter and the Mandalore, but his distrust of Force-users may be his undoing.”

“It’s up to the will of the Force now, Han.” Leia said, and with that said, the Council began to organize the StealthX wing that would be sent to potentially reinforce the Shadow Alliance at Mandalore.

 _One Hour Later, At Keldabe, Mandalore, at the_ Oyu’baat

“You know, Fett, I’ve been doing some thinking. And- OW! What the heck!?” Edaan yelled over all of the noise that was being made at the oldest bar on Mandalore, the _Oyu’baat_ before he was hit from behind by a thrown glass mug that, when Edaan turned around, was thrown by what appeared to be a forty-year-old male Mandalorian in blue armor.

“Don’t mind him, Edaan. Jintar’s just excited for the coming battle, and the chance to take that _aruetii_ , Daala, down.” Mirta said in a reassuring tone, since Edaan seemed ready to jump the man and beat him down to a pulp.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Edaan said in a intimidating tone, “Fine, but if he, or anyone else decides to throw anything, and I mean _any_ thing, in my direction, they’re going to get a big whooping.”

“You know that you’d sound much more menacing if you didn’t use words like ‘whooping.’” Boba said.

“I don’t like to curse. It’s unbecoming of a… moral person.” Edaan replied, earning a chuckle from both mercenaries, as well as his wife, who was sitting right next to him.

“So, you’re saying that we’re not moral people because we curse?” Boba said in a faux offended tone.

“No, I’m saying that- uh- I don’t know what I’m saying.” Edaam stuttered out.

With those words said, all three of the non-Jedi guffawed at Edaan’s loss for words, which was a rare treat for everyone present.

“So, luv, what were you going to say to _Mand’alor_ before you were interrupted?” Adari asked.

“Well, I’ve been thinking, and I’ve come up with a way to further boost the morale of your men.” Edaan said.

“Oh? And just what idea did you come up with, Edaan?” Boba asked, intrigued with what Edaan came up with.

“I’ve done a lot of studying of Mandalorian culture, and I’ve noticed a trend among every _Mand’alor_ : They all had a title that described their style or history, from Mandalore the First, to Mandalore the Ultimate, and Mandalore the Resurrector. I’ve come up with a title for you that is fitting for history: Mandalore the Protector.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Mirta suddenly said. “Why would you call him that?”

“Well, Mirta, as you no doubt know from your grandmother, your grandfather here started out as a Mandalorian as a Journeyman Protector on Concord Dawn around three years after the First Galactic Empire came to power, and, after he honored Fenn Shysa’s promise to lead the Mandalorians on the planet Shogun about thirty-five years ago, he has led them through two devastating galactic wars, and brought them back to the galactic stage. I think that makes him a protector of his people in my eyes.” Edaan explained.

Boba looked thoughtful at the young Jedi’s words, and he eventually nodded and said, “Interesting. I’ll think about it.” Those words caused Mirta and Adari to sharply turn their eyes at each of their family members.

“” _Ba’buir_ , are you sure that you want to go through with this?” Mirta asked with concern in her eyes as she could hardly believe that her grandfather was considering Edaan’s crazy proposal.

“I believe that I am, Mirta.” Boba factually said, before continuing, saying, “This name may rally any undecided Mandalorians across the galaxy, and cause more than a few of Daala’s troops to doubt their allegiance. It’s worth thinking about, at least.”

“Edaan, why does _Mand’alor_ need a name?” Adari asked.

“Like Boba explained, and both Fett and I have proven that many times over, names are powerful, and this name could increase our odds of winning this civil war. Oh, Corran, Jaden, Jaina, Seha, over here!” Edaan said, screaming at the end in order to tell the four humans where the four patrons were sitting, as Bhixen and Barratk’l went to speak with Admirals Kre’frey and Nantz.

Once the three Force-sensitives worked their way through the crowd over to the table where Edaan, Boba, and the others were sitting, Corran said, “Thanks for saving us a spot, Edaan. The entire city is in an uproar over the upcoming battle. It took us twenty minutes to find this place, what with all of the bars and restaurants occupied to the maximum capacity.”

“Well, you know what they say: ‘War is good for business.’” Mirta factually said, before continuing, asking, “So, how did your meeting with the Jedi Council go?”

Corran placed a finger to his lips, implying for the two Mandalorians, as well as Adari, who was wearing her custom painted purple Mandalorian armor, to put their helmets on, and activate them in order to listen in to what Corran was about to whisper.

Once Corran, Edaan, Jaden, Jaina, and Seha put in their earbud comlinks, Corran said,“The Council has decided to prepare a wing of StealthX fighters in case you decide to accept our aid.”

“I thought I made my position on the matter of more Force-sensitive reinforcements very clear, Horn.” Boba said in a sharp tone, worrying Mirta, Adari, and Edaan, as they were afraid of Boba calling off the alliance with this new development.

“We all know, and that is why that, until you give the word for aid, the wing will remain on Phaeda incognito onboard two Star Destroyers that are ostensibly there for training exercises for the troops on the two ships, so that the Jedi can quickly aid us if things get too hairy for the Shadow Alliance.” Jaden Korr said in a reassuring tone.

“Well, _Ba’buir_ , at least we now know that the Jedi can follow directions, and prepare contingencies for the worst, just in case. Who is leading the StealthX wing?” Mirta said humorously before asking the question to no one in particular in an attempt to keep the conversation going in order to keep her grandfather and leader from getting any angrier.

“Grand Master Kyle Katarn, and another member of the Jedi Council, Kyp Durron. Oh, and T’ra Saa, a Neti and another member of the Jedi Council, has decided to come along in order to aid the Shadow Alliance with the Force technique of Battle Meditation, which can-” Jaina said before being interrupted by Mirta.

“There’s no need to explain that Force power to us, Jaina, we know that Battle Meditation can influence the course of an entire battle, possibly an entire war.” Mirta said.

“Good, that saves us a few minutes of tedious explanations.” Jaden said, a little relieved that at least one Mandalorian was taking the news well.

“I’m so glad that you’re all happy.” Boba sarcastically said.”So, the reinforcements won’t come here unless I give the order?”

“That’s correct, Fett.” Seha said, before continuing, saying, “Please consider that we could all use the reinforcements, as a single StealthX wing could deal crucial damage against Daala and her followers.”

“I’ll give it some thought, but no promises.” Boba warned.

“That’s all we can ask, Fett.” Corran said before getting up to order a Corellian ale from the bartender.

“Does this place have any decent caf?” Jaden asked Mirta as she took off her sandy yellow helmet, knowing that Boba had plenty to think about right now, and did not need any needless interruptions.

“Yeah, but I have to warn you, it’s really potent, and it doesn’t taste that good.” Mirta told the middle-aged Jedi.

“”No big deal. I had my fair share of bad caf onboard Khedryn Faal’s ship, the _Junker_.” Jaden said in an attempt to reassure Mirta.

“Good, because this stuff is the worst, but it will keep you awake for hours.”

With those words said, Jaden left to join Corran at the bar.

“So… does this place have any decent foods, as I am starving?” Seha asked either Mandalorian.

“Try the _uj’alayi_ cake. Ir’s very delicious, sweet, and a very popular treat among us Mandalorians.” Mirta suggested.

“Okay.” Seha gratefully said, before getting up to order one of those _uj’alayi_ cakes.

“I see that you’ve become very friendly since Edaan was able to talk some sense into you.” Jaina smugly said.

“Well, I would hate to break the promise that we made all of those years ago after my wedding.” Mirta replied in an equally mocking tone.

“Good to know that you still value your promises. I was afraid that Vestara and her Sith buddies drained all of the morality out of you.”

“Okay, for the record, I only worked with _one_ Sith, and that Sith kept her word and got me home when your former order couldn’t bother with the likes of us Mandos.” Mirta said in a falsely offended tone, knowing that her friend was just messing with her.

“Well, at least we’ve both moved up in the galaxy, you’re a successful military commander, and I’m the galactic empress of the Fel Empire.” Jaina replied in a reassuring tone, before adopting a conspiratory look in her eyes as she said, “Want to have a drinking contest for old time’s sake?”

Mirta grinned in a feral way that frightened Edaan as she said, “Oh, it’s on, _Empress Fel_.” With those words spoken, both woman went to the bar to order as much _Kri’gee_ as they could drink before they vomited their guts out.

“I do not understand most girls, present company excluded, of course.” Edaan said to the two remaining patrons at the table.

“Well, Edaan, we women are a strange bunch that form bonds of sisterhood and friendship in order to survive against sexism across the galaxy.” Adari explained.

“I’ll drink to that, Adari.” Fett said as he raised his glass of _Ne’tra gal_ , known outside of the Mandalorian society as “black ale,” and gulped down the rest of his drink. “Man, that _Ne’tra gal_ is some potent stuff. But not as potent as _Kri’gee_.” He remarked, earning a nod of approval from Edaan and Adari, who had previously tried the two drinks, and found them to be very powerful beverages.

“Well, I’m going to head back to the _Second Chance_ before someone breaks one of my bones, as none of us can afford to be hurt before tomorrow. And I need to have Artoo run a full scan on all of the ship’s systems in order to make sure that it’s running at peak efficiency before tomorrow.” Edaan suddenly declared, before turning to face his wife and said, “Are you coming with me, Adari?”

“No, I think I’ll hang out here for a couple of hours and get to know the people that we’re working with.” Adari responded, a little disappointed that her husband was leaving himself with little time to relax and enjoy himself.

Sensing his wife’s sadness, he then added, “But I suppose that the work can wait for at least a couple of hours.”

These words perked Adari right up, and she got up and beckoned for Edaan to follow her, leaving Boba alone to ponder the war that was about to reach its climax.

*

Edaan followed Adari, as well as the rest of his crew, including Artoo, who they gathered as the made their way through the crowds that covered all of Keldabe to the outskirts of the city to one very familiar ship, the _Specter_ , which he recognized as Wraith Squadron’s shuttle that was used in order to pursue Edaan before he and the Jedi Order reached a mutual understanding, and twelve Incom XJ7 X-wing starfighters, the latest variety of the X-Wing series, with a logo on each fighter’s side that slightly educated person could recognize: the logo of the most famous starfighter squadron of recent history, Rogue Squadron.

“ _Whoa_.” Edaan whispered as Adari led everyone inside the Specter, where a small party was going on insde the ship. All around, people of various species were mingling, and eating Mandalorian foods and drinking what appeared to be Gizer ale.

“Hey, everybody!” Adari shouted, surprising Edaan, as she was not known for being a loud person, preferring to lead by example, except on the rare occasions where a rallying speech was necessary to boost the morale of her men during the Invasion of Kesh. But what surprised him even more was how everyone greeted Adari like she was an old friend, which made Edaan wonder what his wife had been up to while he was imprisoned and working as a leader of the Shadow Alliance. As Edaan awkwardly greeted each person who came up to greet him, he saw a familiar Gamorrean among the crowd, and decided to mingle with Voort sa Binring, a human female with dark blonde hair and blue eyes who, judging by her pilot’s uniform and command patch, Edaan assumed to be the leader of Rogue Squadron, which meant that it was likely Syal Antilles, the older daughter of Wedge Antilles, and Myri Antilles, Wedge’s younger daughter, who was distinguished by her black hair and green eyes.

“Hello, Voort. It’s good to see you and Myri again.” Edaan cordially said before continuing, cordially saying, “Hello there. Am I correct to assume that you are the leader of Rogue Squadron, and Myri Antilles’s sister, Syal Antilles?”

“That’s right. And, judging from the custom painted Jedi combat armor and the wedding ring that’s identical to Adari’s, I have to assume that you are perhaps the most famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view, Jedi Knight in current history, Edaan Palpatine.” Syal cordially said, which surprised Edaan, as he thought that Syal would be talking informally, since this was a party, and she was a Corellian, which were known for speaking their minds in an informal manner, to put it lightly.

“So… leader of Rogue Squadron, eh? How did you get to be in that position?” Edaan curiously asked.

“A lot of grit, determination, experience, and conducting a lot of combat missions.” Syal honestly replied before adopting a lopsided grin and continued, saying, “And it helped that I inherited and exceeded my father’s skills as a pilot.”

“Ah, there’s the trademark Corellian confidence that every Corellian has. I was worried that you were humble, which was an aberration among your culture.” Edaan smugly said, earning a giggle from the two Antilles women and laughter from Voort, which came out as a guttering sound. “So, why are your squadrons to familiar with Adari?” he then asked.

“Well, Edaan,” Voort began to explain, “Adari has been teaching Teras Kasi classes to various troops under your Shadow Alliance’s command, and both of our squadrons decided to take those classes in order to prepare for any unexpected surprises during the Second Mandalorian Civil War.”

“Well, at least my wife has been making a bunch of friends while we’ve been here.” Edaan remarked.

“Yeah, she’s really a social person.” Myri remarked. “You should be proud to have her as your wife.”

“Oh, trust me, Myri, I am.” Edaan smugly said, before asking, “So, how are you gurs doing these days?”

“Good so far, Edaan.” Syal said. “Bwua’tu has Rogue Squadron in the front of the fleet orbiting Mandalore, so we’re going to be seeing a lot of action, unlike my sister here.” She smugly said as she gestured to Myri.

“Hey, while you’re taking out enemy fighters, Wraith Squadron, along with Akku’s company of Mandalorians, is going to be taking out Moff Porrack Vansyn’s personal Star Destroyer, the _Ardus Kaine_ , which should throw his portion of Daala’s fleet into disarray.” Myri hotly retorted.

“Girls, girls, both of your squadrons have important roles tomorrow, and you don’t need to compete with each other in order to see who’s better.” Edaan pleaded to the two women while Voort watched emotionlessly.

“We’re sisters, Edaan. It’s what we do.” Myri replied.

“True enough, I remember when my brother and sister used to fight all the time over spare credits that were lying all over the house before the Lost Tribe killed them.” Edaan somberly replied. Those words caused all three of the pilots to look at him with great sympathy in their eyes.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Edaan, I had no idea.” Syal shockingly said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve put that part of my past behind me. I still miss them, mind you, but I was able to move on with my life.” Edaan said in a reassuring tone.

“Good, because, trust me on this one, holding on to past tragedies can really drag a person down.” Voort said, remembering all of the years that he spent wallowing in guilt over his fellow Wraith Squadron member Hohass Ekwesh, who preferred to go by the nickname of “Runt,” who died at the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, and only let go of that guilt during the capture of the corrupt Galactic Alliance generals Stavin Thaal and Borath Maddeus.

“So… with all of the grim stuff out of the way, what do you say that we get on with this party?” Edaan hopefully said, eager to get this small party underway.

 _Six Hours Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance _at Kyrimorut_

Edaan was beat, which was rare for him at this hour. But, then again, he never partied or drank as much ale as he did before. That was why he was lying down naked with Adari in their bed on the _Second Chance_ as Artoo, Akku, and Atai ran a systems check on the ship in order to make sure that each system was operating at peak efficiency.

“Told you that you’d have a good time.” Adari smugly said as she ran a hand over Edaan’s scarred back.

“Okay, okay, I admit, I had a good time with your friends.” Edaan happily admitted before he kissed Adari’s collarbone, before getting serious and said, “Are you ready for the big battle?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. The ship’s at one hundred percent efficiency, fully loaded, and updated with the latest technology, and the crew will be fully recovered from their hangovers by morning.” Adari drowsily said as she prepared to go to sleep. “What time do we expect Daala’s fleet to arrive?” She asked.

“No sooner than 1200 hours.” Edaan factually said as he yawned, as he was just as tired as Adari, and just as ready to fall asleep.

“Okay. Can you wake me up at 0800 hours?” Adari softly asked.

“Of course, my love.” Edaan said as sleep slowly took hold over of his and Adari’s minds.

_Meanwhile, In the Command Center_

“ _And everything is prepared, Corran?_ ” Mirax Terrik Horn asked.

“Yes, Mirax. The fleet is on high alert for Daala’s imminent attack, the Jedi and Imperial Knights are ready for battle, and the Jedi Council is preparing reinforcements in case we need them.” Corran said in a reassuring tone to ease his wife and son’s frazzled nerves.

“ _Good. Be sure to give that_ sleemo _Daala a good beating for all of us, Jysella included._ ” Booster Terrik, a legendary entrepreneur and owner of the _Errant Venture_ , a red Star Destroyer, said. Despite being around one hundred years old, and being confined to a massive repulsorlift chair, he still managed to look menacing to Corran.

“Don’t worry, Booster, we’ll kick her ass until she can’t sit anymore.” Corran promised, more than ready to back up his words after finding out what Daala did to his daughter for her sick experiments. His use of language caused Mirax and Valin to each raise an eyebrow, and made Booster laugh uncontrollably before he started coughing violently. It took him five minutes to stop coughing, and once he stopped, Corran grimly said, “How long do you have?”

“ _A few weeks, at best._ ” Booster nonchalantly said. “ _But I’ve made my peace, and mark on the galaxy. And before I die from old age, I’ll have my granddaughter avenged, and the ones responsible for her death will be rotting in prison before being executed._ ”

“ _Just be careful, Dad. None of us, even Grandpa, though he will never admit it, want to lose you like we lost Jysella._ ” Valin practically pleaded to his father, who looked at him with as much fatherly love as he could muster.

“Don’t worry, Valin. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.” Corran said in a heartening tone.

“ _Good. May the Force be with you all._ ” Valin said.

“And with all of you, as well.” Corran said as the connection for the holocall ended.

With his final call with his family made, Corran decided to turn in early, as he would be up early in order to help coordinate the defense of Mandalore tomorrow.

 _Onboard the_ Slave I, _2100 Hours_

Boba Fett was going over any last-minute adjustments to the Slave I’s targeting array when he heard five sets of footsteps approach him from behind. He turned around to see Sintas Vel holding her great-grandson, Bria Orade, Ghes Orade, who was holding his son Ralo Orade, and Mirta Gev, each looking concerned at their leader and oldest family member. Too tired to utter a clever retort, he simply asked, “Shouldn’t all of you guys be in bed by now?”

“That’s really funny, Bo, because we could ask you the same question.” Sintas replied with a smile on her face.

“Ha, ha, ha.” Boba humorlessly said. “I’m finalizing the upgrades for the targeting array, and installing a classic surprise for Daala when you take command of the _Slave I_ while I lead our forces from the command center.”

“What kind of surprise, _Ba’buir_?” Mirta asked, more than a little curious as both of her children yawned in exhaustion after a long day of partying with the rest of the soldiers on the planet.

“Seismic charges, the same kind that my father used to have onboard the Slave I when he fought Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Geonosis system.” Boba proudly said.

“Aren’t those illegal?” Ghes asked.

“Only if you get caught with them.” Boba smugly said in reply.

“Hard to believe that we’re all together again.” Mirta said in wonder as she took Bria from Sintas and placed her in her arms.

“Yeah, it’s been –what- fifteen years since we all were together against a power-crazy despot?” Ghes said as he chuckled.

“Yeah, those were better times. You know, before we allied with the galaxy for the greater good.” Mirta jokingly said.

“Everyone, promise us that you’ll come back for Bria and me safely.” Ralo shakingly said for himself and Bria, the fear evident in his voice as he tried to get out of Ghes’s grip, who let him down.

“Don’t worry, guys, we’ll kick Daala in the _shebs_ and come back for a victory celebration that the entire galaxy can hear.” Sintas said in a reassuring tone, even believing what she heard.

“Okay, now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish the repairs and upgrades for the ship before Sintas here takes command, so everyone, scram.” Fett said.

“‘Scram?’ Aren’t you getting old, _Ba’buir_?” Ghes smugly said.

“Just get out of here before I blast you all out of here.” Boba warned, causing everyone to chuckle as they left the ship.

 _People these days. They have no respect for their elders._ Boba thought as he finished installing the upgrades for the _Slave I_.

_Outside of Kyrimorut, 2130 Hours_

Rayder Sei was in his element as he listened to the crackling sound of the fire in front of him, and in a deep trance as he meditated before the big battle. He had kept out of the celebrations that went on across the planet, as he saw no need in celebrating before something was accomplished, a sentiment that he wished that his nephew, Akku Sei II, shared.

Every duo of Anzati assassins that followed him to Mandalore each meditated around their own individual fire, mentally preparing their minds for their missions that they had received from the Shadow Alliance’s High Command. Each team would go aboard one of Daala’s capital ships and systematically destroy them, after they assassinated each commanding officer in order to throw portions of Daala’s fleet into chaos and give the Shadow Alliance a better chance of winning this civil war with minimal casualties, in order to save their strength for the upcoming war with the Sith and their hidden Dragon Lord.

 _May the Silent Voices guide us in the battle to come, and may our enemies fall swiftly and justly by our blades and blasters._ Rayder silently prayed in his mind as he continued to meditate for the Siege of Mandalore.

_Day 54 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation. 0700 Hours_

_In the Shogun System, Onboard the_ Chimeara

Natasi Daala’s fleet was finally ready to attack. After spending a week on repairs, every ship other than the _Defender_ , an _Acclamator_ -class warship that was damaged beyond repair from Mirta’s sabotage, which was scrapped after the troops and fighters were transferred over to various ships of the Maw Irregular Fleet. With a prideful gleam in her one organic eye, she turned to see the fleet that was visible on the tactical monitor: the fleet was composed of her flagship, the _Chimeara_ , the twenty Loronar _Strike_ -class Medium Cruisers that were donated by Loronar Corporation in exchange for Beskar shipments for their experiments, Moff Porrack Vansyn came with six Imperial I-Class Star Destroyers, two Imperial Interdictor Cruisers, seven _Lancer_ -class Frigates, and two wings of TIE Fighters, the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild sent ships of various designs and eras to get slaves from Mandalore for their gladiator arenas, and to gain the strength to return to their homeworld, while renegade Galactic Aliance forces, under the command of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard, a staunch supporter of Daala during her time a Chief of State, came three _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Endurqnce_ -class Fleet Carriers that each contained a wing of K-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings each, renegade Commenori forces under the command of Fyor Rodan came to her aid, comprising three _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers and nine support ships, sixteen Assault Frigates class Mark II, forty-eight Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, four _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Scimitar_ -class frigates, four _Crusader_ -class corvettes, a dozen _Assassin_ -class corvettes, two wings of Scimitar assault bombers, four wings of TIE/LN Starfighters that, even from this distance, had heavy armaments that included proton torpedo launchers and heavy laser cannons, and three wings of fighters ranging from before the rise of the First Empire to the era of the Second Galactic Civil War, there were nine wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, four wings of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, five wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, ten _Stathas_ -class freighters, seven _Keldabe_ -class battleships, fifty heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships of the same model that Boba Fett used for a while as the _Slave II_ , and forty-five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers.

“Orders, Admiral?” Captain Tors Remal, said from the bridge.

“Yes, Captain. Order the fleet to launch at once.” Daala growled out, eager to get her hands covered in blood and gore again for a good cause.

“At once, Admiral.” Tors said as he saluted and ordered the comms-officer to send a message to the entire fleet, ordering them to launch. Five minutes later, each ship jumped into hyperspace, from where they would emerge in three hours in order to attack Fett and his wretched allies at Mandalore.

 _Let’s see the Force stop me now._ Daala thought as she saw the blinding flash of light consume the windows of the Chimeara’s bridge.

**And, cut! Wow, this was, by far, the longest chapter that I’ve ever written. Sorry that it took so long, but I had to get this chapter just right. Anyway, I’ve read a couple of good books that I will not name in order to avoid some hate mail, and risk offending people of differing political beliefs than me. But, I will tell you what I am reading right now: _Reagan: The Life_ , by H. W. Brands, and I am enjoying it very much. I don’t know about you, but I consider him in my top three best Presidents of the United States. Speaking of the U.S., may God help us guide this country back into prosperity in the days to come; for I dread the alternative if we elect the wrong candidate. So, I recently saw _Star Trek: Beyond_ , and I would have to give it four stars out of five, as it was a pretty good movie. Anyway, tell me what you think of this story and chapter, as long as your criticism is constructive, and not demolishing. Two more things: First, Master Skywalker 121, thank you for reviewing my story, as it brings me much joy to know that someone is enjoying my stories. Second, I highly encourage you to read Outcast Effect and Rajmael of Clan Lavellan, which you can find on my “Favorite Stories” tab on Fanfiction.net. Oh, and I am so eager for the Battle of Odessan in four days, how about you. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	12. Chapter 11

**Hello, Star Wars fans! How have you been since I last wrote a chapter? I am fine, thanks for asking. By the way, have you seen some of the ads on presidential candidates on fanfiction.net? I have, and I’m sure that we’ll see more of those in the near future, what with the 2016 presidential elections coming up in a handful of months. Let’s hope that we put the right candidates into power, otherwise, this country is doomed. At least, that’s what I believe. Anyway, are all of you excited for the Siege of Mandalore, the second one, not the first one that would have been in _The Clone Wars_ (Which, despite it overriding the Expanded Universe, I loved it immensely, and watched and collected every single episode in DVD format), to begin, because I know that I am? Well, get ready for a lot of action, deaths, adventure, and insanity on Daala and Melusar’s behalf’s, as I will provide a heaping of each of these qualities. Anyway, what are you eager in the Star Wars universes, as I crave content from each universe, as I think that I can incorporate much of the new canon stuff into what I consider to be the true canon, the Expanded Universe, such as the comic book series _Star Wars_ , _Darth Vader_ , and _Han Solo_ , the TV show, _Star Wars: Rebels_ , and the upcoming novel _Star Wars: Thrawn_? By the way, have any of you guys realized that I’ve been writing this series for over six months now, because that is amazing? And to think that I joined the fanfiction community almost a year ago in order to talk with a certain author. A word of warning: Once I complete this six-book series, I will give up fanfiction, as writing Jedi Odyssey was the only Star Wars story that I could come up with. Sorry if I disappointed you, but I need to be honest in advance, so that everyone can come to terms with this development. And… Oh my gosh, I just realized something that I forgot to include in my last chapter: I forgot to include the twenty senators and their sector fleets that deserted the Galactic Alliance in order to help Daala’s mad crusade against the Force in her fleet. Rest assured that I will correct that error in this chapter. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get started on continuing this amazing piece of history in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. **

_Kyrimorut, Mandalore, Onboard the_ Second Chance _,_ _0710 Hours_

Edaan Palpatine awoke with a start, sensing the malevolent forces that were approaching Mandalore. He quickly woke up Adari, and the two of them quickly got dressed and ready for combat. Once they were in their respective sets of armor, the alerted the crew to be ready within fifteen minutes, and to meet them where the Shadow Alliance’s High Command would meet to prepare to go into battle against Natasi Daala’s rapidly approaching fleet.

_Thirteen Minutes Later, in the Command Center_

“So, no doubt that one of Jaing’s spies has told all of you this, but Daala’s finally on the move, and she’ll be here within a couple of hours.” Edaan said, starting off this meeting on a serious note.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Edaan.” Jaing proudly said, impressed by Edaan’s logic and deductive powers of observation. “But, there’s one thing that you missed. Daala’s senatorial allies in the Galactic Alliance are approaching us from the Sith Space world of Khar Dalba in an attempt to catch us off guard. They should be here within six hours.”

“Hey, Jaing, just how extensive is your spy network, by the way?” Corran asked, wondering just how well-informed the ancient Mandalorian was.

“I’ve got a feed on all of Daala’s ships, and I still have a few explosives planted on many of Daala’s ships that she shouldn’t be able to find. They didn’t call me a Null ARC for nothing.” Jaing said with a hint of boastfulness in his voice, amusing everyone present.

“All right, everyone. That’s enough.” Boba Fett said, turning everyone’s attention to him. “We’ve already alerted Supreme Commander Bwua’tu to this development, and he’s finalizing the defenses of Mandalore. With luck, or the Force, depending on your preference, we’ll be more than prepared for Daala’s invasion.”

“Good. Now, if there’s nothing else, I should get back to my ship, the _Ralroost_ , in order to coordinate my portion of the fleet.” Confederation Admiral Traest Kre’frey said, preparing to leave the briefing room, before being called back by Trista Zel, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, and Gavin Darklighter, who had a few questions for the rest of High Command.

“How goes the progress on reinforcements from the Chiss Ascendancy?” Trista asked no one in particular.

“Better than expected. If Formbi can continue his progress on preparing the fleets from the Empire of the Hand and the Ascendancy, we should be getting some reinforcements within three weeks.” Corran said.

“Good, because if they’re even half as effective as they were during the Swarm War and Battle of Exodo II, we could use their aid against Daala, especially since she has a significant portion of Galactic Alliance forces at her disposal.” Azzim said.

“All right. Now, we need to get to our ships, and prepare for battle.” Boba stoically ordered everyone.

With those words said, Azzim went to man his flagship, the _Varl’s Legacy_ , Corran went to brief his five-Jedi team, which was preparing their five StealthXs for battle, Edaan and his team went back to the Second Chance to prepare to take off in order to help the Shadow Alliance’s fleet, Traest flew to his flagship, the Bothan Assault Carrier, the _Ralroost_ , Sintas Vel prepared the _Slave I_ in order to lead the Mandalroians into battle against their wayward bretheren, while Boba Fett would be onboard the Megador to aid Nek Bwua’tu in defeating Daala, Trista Zel went onto Tenel Ka’s flagship, the _Dragon Queen II_ , which was used to lead the Hapan contingent in orbit above Mandalore, Gavin Darklighter went to his flagship of the covert Galactic Alliance task force that went to assist Edaan in his endeavors, the Galactic-class Battle Carrier, the _Dodonna_ , and Jaina Solo Fel went with Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti onboard the flagship of the Imperial fleet, the _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyer, the _Bloodfin_.

 _Two Hours Later, In Orbit Above Mandalore, Onbaord the_ Megador

Needless to say, everyone was on high alert with Daala’s invasion a matter of minutes away. A massive fleet above the planet Mandalore was finishing taking up defensive postions above Mandalore: said fleet included the final Super Star Destroyer in existence, the _Megador_ , eight _Galactic_ -class Battle Carriers, ten _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, three _Interdictor_ -class Cruisers, ten _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, six _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, five Star Galleon-class Frigates, and five MC90 Capitol Ship cruisers, two brigades of Void Jumpers to aid the outnumbered Mandalorians on the surface of Mandalore, five additional _Galactic_ -class Battle Carriers, Twenty _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, Fifty _Lancer_ -class frigates, and two heavily armed _Lucrehulk_ -class battleships that were loaded with advanced starfighters of various designs, ten MC90 Capitol Ship cruisers, and the Mon Calamari Vicount-Class Star Defender, the _Nossor Ri_ which comprised the Galactic Alliance’s, both official and unofficial, forces in the system; The Hapes Consortium sent ten Hapan Battle Dragons, twenty _Nova_ -Class battle cruisers, ten Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, Miytil starfighters, and Miy’til assault bombers each under Trista Zel; Ten Anzati assassins under the command of elite assassin Rayder Sei were preparing to infiltrate various capital ships in order to eliminate them from the fight before they could deal serious damage to the Shadow Alliance’s fleets and armies; ten crime lords form Ord Mantell, as well as various gangs, militias, royal forces from Taris, Zygerria, and Falleen came to aid Edaan in order to repay the debts that they owed him; the Fel Empire came with it Empress, Jaina Solo Fel, as well as the Five-Hundred-and-First Legion, nicknamed “Vader’s Fist” for its work for Darth Vader during the First Galactic Empire’s reign, twelve _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyers, five _Imperial_ II-Class Star Destroyers, and ten Imperial Knights as Jaina’s personal retinue; the Hutt Grand Council sent twenty _chelandion_ -class warships, twenty five Hutt Batils and Tarradas each, and thirty _Dreadnaught_ -class heavy cruisers that were modified to operate with a crew of only five thousand crewman; about sixty thousand of Xasha Xizor’s followers came in shipa in various designs and sizes, such as _Vainglorius_ -class cruisers, _Consular_ -class Cruisers, _Carrack_ -class Light Cruisers with external starfighter racks, _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, and so on; three clans of Rodians and twenty bounty hunters under the command of Galactic Alliance senator Janek the White came as well;, Prefsbelt sent three wings of hyperspace-capable fighters that were designated “Predator-class fighters” to bolster the forces with much needed starfighter expertise, as most of the pilots came from the One-Hundred-and-Eighty-First Wing; the defectors form Daala’s fleet included Armand Vorn, Daala’s own son, Mirta Gev, Boba Fett’s granddaughter, who was commanding _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, three _Keldabe_ -Class battleships, four Assault Frigates class Mark II, four _Republic_ -class cruisers, an _Assassin_ -class Corvette, a wing of _bes'uliiks_ , and a small army of over six thousand Mandalorians, while the two _Lictor_ -class Dungeon Ships that were under Daala’s command before being commandeered, the _Gorgon’s Revenge_ and _Sunspot’s Legacy_ , which went to the Fel Empire’s capital world of Bastion in order to help rehabilitate the liberated prisoners that Daala had accumulated over the years; The Confederation sent two Corellian Dreadnaughts under the command of Admiral Genna Delpin, ten Bothan Assault Carriers, the Adrmari sent a massive weapons shipment that equipped about every capital ship in the fleet with the latest missiles and proton torpedoes, the Commenorians sent their defense fleet, minus the defectors that the Anti-Jedi politician Fyor Rodan convinced to defect to Daala’s side, which composed twenty seven Imperial _II_ -class Star Destroyers and various support ships; all of the Confederation ships were under the command of veteran Bothan Admiral Traest Kre’frey; finally, the Mandalorians under Fett’s command numbered in forty-five thousand warriors on the ground, six thousand Mandallian Giants, four extra wings of _bes'uliiks_ , fifty _Firespray_ -class interceptors, sixty MandalMotors Pursuer-class enforcement ships, three _Aggressor_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Keldabe_ -Class Battleships, ten _Crusader_ -class corvettes, two wings of Mando-Verpine Assault Fighters, a wing of _StarViper_ -class attack platforms, and a wing of Vyrhawk fighter bombers.

This massive fleet was under the Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance Navy, Nek Bwua’tu, who had over twenty years of combat experience under his belt, ranging all the way from the Swarm War to the Lost Tribe of the Sith Emergence. He received advice and counsel from the resurrected Grey Cadre, which included the former Galactic Alliance senators Ponc Gavirsom, Releqy A'Kla, and Ta’laam Ranth, and four Galactic Alliance military officers: Commodore Turk Brand, Admirals Kir Vantai and Firmus Nantz, General Etahn A’baht. They had devised the strategy that, with Bwua’tu’s approval, the Shadow Alliance would use to defeat Daala’s armada: The fleet would divide into two sections, half of the fleet led by Bwua’tu to go after Daala herself, as he, as Daala’s former lover, was the only person alive who knew the woman better than anyone except Boba Fett, which was why he would be with him onboard the _Megador_ to coordinate the Mandalorian portion of the fleet, while Admiral Kre’frey from the Bothan Assault Carrier, the _Ralroost_ , and Commodore Kral Nevil, commanding the _Viscount_ -class Star Defender _Nossor Ri_ , would lead the other half once Daala’s reinforcements arrived from Khar Delba in an attempt to overwhelm the Shadow Alliance from their rear.

It was at this moment that Nek Bwua’tu and Boba Fett walked on to the bridge of the _Megador_ , and as a result, everyone stood completely straight and saluted the approaching supreme commander, and a few suspicious glares were sent at Boba’s direction, who, understanding their fears, but not caring what they thought of him, just ignored them as he followed Nek to where the commanding officer of a Super Star Destroyer traditionally stood with their hands grasped behind their back, about twenty feet from the transparisteel window.

Noting the efficiency and diligence that each officer on the bridge exhibited, Fett said, “I hate to admit it, Bwua’tu, but you have a bunch of impressive people under your command. Many of my own people would literally kill to be in a ship like this.”

“Thank you, Mandalore. I pride myself on running a professional crew, and only accept the best people that the Galactic Alliance offers, with a few exceptions, such as prodigies that would waste their skills doing dead-end jobs for their first assignments.” Bwua’tu said with no arrogance, only honesty, before continuing, saying, “I’m sure that you do the same with your handpicked crew of advisors, such as Goran Beviin, Ghes Orade, Mirta Gev, Sintas Vel, and so forth.”

“True enough.” Boba replied just before a series of alarms went off across the bridge of the _Megador_. “I assume that Daala is about to come out of hyperspace?” he stoically asked.

“I would assume so.” Bwuatu said, before turning to the right to where the sensor-officer sat, and asked, “Officer, where is the approaching force coming from?”

“It appears to be… Sector Four, Supreme Commander. A sizeable fleet will be out of hyperspace in about three minutes.” The officer reported.

“Very good. Alert all ships, take up defensive positions, and open a line to every ship!” Bwua’tu ordered everyone on the bridge.

A moment later, the communications-officer said, “Connection established, Supreme Commander.”

“Good work.” Bwua’tu said before clearing his throat and said, “Attention all ships, Natasi Daala and her armada will be in this system within the next three minutes, so I will make this brief. You have come from every corner of the galaxy to unite against this threat to all of our ways of life. Make no mistake, Daala and her cronies will kill you all if they get the chance, so show no mercy, for you shall receive none. But do not forget, Daala is merely a symptom of the disease that is devouring the galaxy, and that disease is the Sith and their legions, which have been manipulating events in the galaxy for over ten years in order to weaken it for their eventual takeover. So, we are going to beat Daala here, and take the fight to the Sith, and wipe their stain off of the galaxy for good. As Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger once said four years before the Battle of Yavin, ‘Stand up together, as one, because that’s when we’re strongest, together!’ Now, prepare for battle, and prepare for victory!” With that Bwua’tu motioned for the communications-officer to cut the feed.

“Nice speech, but did you really have to mention the Sith, as well as a Jedi during the early years of rebellion against Palpatine’s empire?” Boba asked.

“I thought it prudent that our forces know what we’re up against, and mention someone who mirrored my own aspirations.” Bwua’tu replied. Boba simply shrugged in response.

“Supreme Commander, we have company. Daala’s fleet is exiting hyperspace in five… four… three… two… one!” the sensor-officer warned. As he said the last number, both Bwua’tu and Boba turned to their left to where Sector Four was, and saw Daala’s flagship, the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, the _Chimaera_ , exit hyperspace, followed by the rest of the fleet, which included the twenty _Strike_ -class Medium Cruisers that appeared to belong to Loronar Corporation, Moff Porrack Vansyn’s flag ship, the Star Destroyer _Ardus Kaine_ , along with five additional Imperial I-Class Star Destroyers, two Imperial Interdictor Cruisers, seven _Lancer_ -class Frigates, and two wings of TIE Fighters, the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild remaining ships of various designs and eras, the renegade Galactic Aliance forces, under the command of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard, a fanatical supporter of Daala during her tenure as the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, came three _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Endurqnce_ -class Fleet Carriers that each contained a wing of K-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings each, renegade Commenori forces under the command of Fyor Rodan came to her aid, comprising three _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers and nine support ships, sixteen Assault Frigates class Mark II, forty-eight Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, four _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Scimitar_ -class frigates, four _Crusader_ -class corvettes, a dozen _Assassin_ -class corvettes, two wings of Scimitar assault bombers, four wings of TIE/LN Starfighters that, according to the sensors, had heavy armaments that included proton torpedo launchers and heavy laser cannons, and three wings of fighters ranging from before the rise of the First Empire to the era of the Second Galactic Civil War, there were nine wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, four wings of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, five wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, ten _Stathas_ -class freighters, seven _Keldabe_ -class battleships, fifty heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships that were of the same model that Boba Fett used for six years following the rise of the New Republic as the _Slave II_ , and forty-five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers.

“An impressive fleet, and it hasn’t even fully arrived yet. I have to give Daala this: whatever we may think of her as a psychotic and despotic _di'kut_ , she certainly has charisma.” Boba remarked.

“That she has, Mandalore. That she has.” Bwua’tu said in agreement.

As soon as Bwua’tu uttered those words, the comms-officer raised her webbed hand and said, “Supreme Commander! The _Chimaera_ is hailing us.”

“Ah. I see that Daala is as arrogant as ever if she expects us to surrender without a fight. Put it through.” Bwua’tu ordered the specialist to do, and, ten seconds later, a holoimage of a woman with red-gray hair, one prosthetic eye, and an imperial admiral’s uniform appeared with an annoying smirk, which was quickly replaced with shock as she saw the figure of her former lover speak with her.

“ _Nek Bwua’tu, this is a surprise. Am I correct to assume that Chief of State Dorvan sent you to fight the Senate’s battles for them?_ ” Daala asked with a sneer on her face as she spoke.

“On the contrary, Natasi, I volunteered to lead the fleet that came to stop you, and was hoping that you would call off this invasion, surrender yourself over for a fair trial before all of the major governments to answer for your crimes against life itself, and save a lot of lives on both sides.” Bwua’tu replied, causing Daala to chuckle with a tone that suggested insanity in the woman.

“‘ _Crimes against life itself.’ That’s very funny, Nek. And you, Boba? Why in the name of the galaxy and all things sane and decent are you, of all people, fighting on the side of Force-sensitives who have brought you nothing but pain and misery?_ ”

“I’m not here for them, Daala.” He practically spat out the name, his disgust evident to both leaders, before continuing, saying, “I’m here because you and your Sith masters have caused so many deaths for my people, and it has to stop, and Edaan and his Shadow Alliance is the best way to do it. And you’re in no position to be talking like a saint, seeing all of the atrocities that you committed in your lust for power: slavery, butchering any dissenters, recruiting the worst of the worst to your side. At least I was honest with myself about what I did when I was just a bounty hunter. And one more thing. It’s not ‘Boba’, anymore.” He growled out by the end as he took off his helmet to glare daggers at Daala. “It’s _Mandalore_. Mandalore the Protector, and I will protect my people from all threats, starting with you and your puppet masters.”

“ _Brave words, Mandalore, but, just where will it end with you protecting your people, I wonder? Will you wage war on the galaxy itself to protect your ‘people’ from all threats?_ ” Daala mockingly said.

“Don’t go putting words into my mouth, Daala. Before you came along with your mad schemes of galactic domination, my people were doing just fine as we were. _You_ started this civil war, and now the Shadow Alliance is going to finish it.”

“ _Do you really think that you can trust a Palpatine, especially a Force-sensitive one at that? Don’t be naïve, Fett, he’s just using you for his own agenda, that’s what all Jedi do._ ”

“At least this Jedi’s been honest with me from the start, and he’s given me something that I can put to good use for my people, respect and safety, two things that you don’t have. Now, we’re only going to ask you one more time: surrender your forces and tell us where the Sith are hiding, and we’ll let you and your forces live.”

At those words being said, Daala laughed maniacally for ten seconds, causing Bwua’tu and Boba to spare a glance at each other and further doubt the sanity of their opponent.

Once Daala was done cackling, she said, “ _Do you honestly think that I’ll surrender to a bunch of Force-loving idiots? No, I have more tricks up my sleeves than either of you realize._ ”

“You mean your incoming fleet that’s going to assault us from the rear? We know all about that, Natasi, and have a few tricks of our own in store for you as well.” Bwua’tu countered.

“ _Then I hope that all of your tricks work as you planned, Nek, because I will show no mercy to any of my enemies._ ” Daala said without any genuine mirth in her voice as she ended the transmission.

“Well, that could have ended better.” Bwua’tu remorsefully remarked.

“At least we now know for certain that Daala’s lost her mind. That will cause her to make mistakes, and hopefully give us a quick and bloodless victory.” Boba remarked.

“Or it will cause her to commit even more depravities that we can’t hope to counter, giving her an edge in the battle.” Nek countered.

“You’re a real pessimist, you know that, Bwua’tu.” Boba said as he put his helmet back on.

“I’ve always preferred to think of myself as a realist, Fett. Comms, tell all ships to prepare for battle.” Bwua’tu said as he spoke to Boba and then the communications-officer.

As Bwua’tu continue to issue orders to his portion of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet, Boba sent out a coded transmission Jaing. The transmission said _Unleash your surprises on Daala’s fleet now._ As Boba saw the fleet mobilize its fighter complements to counter Daala’s massive amount of starfighters, and the capital ships took up defensive positions above Mandalore, he grimly thought to himself, _Let’s just hope that the forces currently at our disposal will be enough to stop Daala, because I do_ not _want to come begging to the Jedi for aid._

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Chimaera

 _Naïve fools._ Daala thought as she saw the fleet of the so-called “Shadow Alliance” take up defensive positions in orbit above Mandalore. _Enjoy your rule while you can, “Mandalore the Protector,” because before the week is over, I will be ruling Mandalore, and will begin my righteous war against anyone who opposes me._ She thought as she gestured for Captain Tors Remal to deploy all of their fighters.

An instant later, all fighters launched from each Star Destroyer of various eras, which was followed by a series of explosions across the _Chimaera_ , causing Daala and Tors Remal to fall to the floor on their face, bruising their foreheads with black and blue discolorations. Quickly shaking off the pain, Daala pulled herself up and yelled, “Status report! What the hell happened?!”

“I don’t know, Admrial, I-” the sensors-officer said before the communications-officer interrupted.

“Admiral, the _Defender_ , _Marauder_ , _Majestic_ , _Zygerria’s_ _Legacy_ , _Liegus Vorn_ , _Tarkin’s Vengeance, Vaiken’s Legacy,_ and eleven other ships have been destroyed, the _Ardus Kaine_ is reporting engine damage, and the _Chimaera’s_ defector shields are down.” The officer said, referring to two _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild’s flagship, a _Scimitar_ -class frigate, a _Crusader_ -class corvette, and an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser.

Livid beyond belief, but not wanting to lose her composure, she whispered to Tors, “ _How did it happen?_ ”

“I don’t-” Tors began to stutter out before his personal holocomm began to beep, forcing him to pull it out of one of his pockets in order to answer the call. The holoimage that came up was an image of a Mandalorian that both military officials recognized: Jaing Skirata.

“ _Hello, you two crazy felinxes. Hope that my little surprise didn’t hurt you too much, as we need you alive to stand trial for your crimes._ ” Jaing smugly said with a satisfied grin on his face.

“You did this?!” Daala growled out.

“ _Yep, and it was easier than taking candy from a baby. You were so busy repairing your fleet and plotting your petty revenge that you didn’t notice my extra set of presents for you across all of your ships._ ” Jaing proudly said.

 _Oh, when I get my hands on you, Jaing, I will make your death so brutal, so disturbing, and so vivid, that no one would ever think of crossing me again._ Daala silently swore to the galaxy as she struggled to regain her calm composure, as it would not benefit the crew to see her lose her cool any more than she already had. “You won’t get away with this, Jaing. No matter what it takes, I will hunt you down and bring your to book for your crimes against me.” She said instead in a calm tone, scaring Tors significantly, as she much preferred it when Daala yelled and screamed at her enemies, it meant that she was directing her anger outward, and not inward.

“ _You’ll have to find me first, and to do that, you’ll have to do that with your reduced fleet. You’d better hope that the Force is with you, otherwise, you’re doomed._ ” Jaing mockingly said before disconnecting the holocall, leaving the two officers to their thoughts.

“Admiral, your orders?” Tors hesitatingly asked, hoping to take her mind off of this grave development.

“Prepare the fleet for battle, and have all ships surround the _Chimaera_ in order to protect it until the shields are fully restored.” Daala said, her mind now completely focused on raining down vengeance on all of her enemies, starting with Edaan Palpatine and Jaing Skirata for slowing down her plans so much. Tors nodded at the order, and began barking orders to the crew of the Star Destroyer.

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Second Chance

“All fighter squadrons, report in.” Edaan said into the intercom that was connecting the Second Chance to every fighter squadron in Nek Bwua’tu’s portion of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet, while he and Akku Sei II saw the destruction of a significant portion of Daala’s navy.

“Rogue Squadron, reporting in.” the strong voice of Syal Antilles, the current leader of the legendary Rogue Squadron, came in.

“Comet Sqauadron, here and ready for battle.” Said the squad leader of the Galactic Alliance’s elite B-Wing fighter squadron.

“Shadow Squadron, reporting for duty.” Corran Horn said from his five-man StealthX squadron.

After fifty additional squadron leaders spoke over the intercom, Edaan took a deep breath and said, “All squadrons, Launch!” With those words said, all fighters of various eras, organizations, and designs, launched and flew straight at Daala’s rapidly approaching fleet of starfighters.

*

Nash Windrider was finally back in his element. He was leading a squadron of TIE Defenders in the forefront of Daala’s starfighter complement, and, despite the overwhelming odds against him and his fellow pilots, he was ready to destroy the enemies that were vastly approaching him. “All right, men, we know what we’re up against: the Force itself. We can’t lose here, otherwise our cause is finished, and all of the sacrifices that we’ve made will be for nothing. So, give it your all, and should the worst pass, I’ll see you on the other side. Now, go and make me proud!”

As a result of Nash’s speech, all of the pilots shouted, or in the case of the Mandalorian pilots, bellowed “Oya!!” _Now let’s see their beloved Force save them now._ Nash thought as he maliciously smiled and prepped his TIE Defender’s laser cannons, ion cannons, and missile launchers for battle.

**Well, that wraps up my final chapter before school starts for me. I hope you enjoyed. And, if you think that I’m making the Shadow Alliance too strong, and Daala too weak, don’t worry, Daala still has more than a few tricks up her sleeve, so the battle will last a few days, at the very least. Anyway, tell me what you guys and girls thought about this chapter, as I want you to be honest and constructive in your criticism, as hate reviews will not be tolerated. Oh, and did you hear that _Star Wars: Rebels: Season Three_ , will premiere on September 24th at 8:30 P.M.? I don’t know about you, but I am hyped for the third, and possibly final season of the show. And, speaking of hyped, I am excited for the next expansion pack for Star Wars: Knights of the Eternal Throne, as there’s no telling what can happen next for the heroes, such as the Outlander; villains, like Vaylin and SCORPIO, and everyone in-between, like Arcann and Senya. Oh, and it’s hard to believe that tomorrow, I will have been a member of fanfiction.net for a year, which is big for me, as it was the first big site that I became a member of. Anyway, I am still on that book on Ronald Reagan, and it is a doozy in the best possible way. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think that he was one of the best presidents that we ever had, next to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Hopefully the next president can be at least as good and principled as these three were. Anyway, politics aside, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as the next one may not be out for a while. Oh, and one more thing, if you haven’t already, I implore you to read The Incredible Muffin’s stories “Outcast Blades” and “Outcast Effect”, as they are beyond exceptional, and Outcast Effect has just reached the final battle, and a big death has occurred on the heroes’ side, and it was a huge shock. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	13. Chapter 12

**Hello, people of Earth, as people from all across the globe have read my stories! How are you doing at the end of summer vacation? I am fine, and have started my two classes for the fall semester of 2016 of my community college on Monday, August 15, 2016. By the way, have you bought the comic _Star Wars: Darth Vader_ #24 that was released on August 10, 2016, as the visions that Vader experienced as a result of Cylo-V’s machinations were beyond powerful. Now, if you are upset that I’m reading some of the new comics, please don’t worry, as I am not buying comics such as _Star Wars: Lando_ , _Star Wars: Shattered Empire_ , _and Star Wars: The Force Awakens_ , as there is no way that I can tweak those into the original timeline. For instance, I can tweak “Star Wars: Rebels” into the timeline since it comes before The Force Unleahsed, and I can tweak part of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” into the Expanded Universe, as I have already done in my previous stories. Finally, if the two comic book series, _Star Wars_ and _Star Wars: Darth Vader_ , are moved to about a year after the Battle of Yavin in my head canon, I can fit it into the timeline with few difficulties. Oh, I just realized that today marks the first anniversary of the day that I joined fanfiction.net. Yay, me! Anyway, I am going to start _The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses S. Grant in War and Peace_ , written by H.W. Brands. I hope that it is as good as one of his other books, _Reagan: The Life_. One more thing, tomorrow, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles returns, and I can’t wait for 11:00 A.M., as I have been waiting for almost four months for the return of what just may be the last great show on Nickelodeon, other than “Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge.” Oh, and don’t even get me started on what I think on Cartoon Network. But, I won’t stoop to that level, as it would be unbecoming of a polite person that I try to be. One more thing, have you guys seen any good movies recently, as I saw “Anthropoid” today, and it was a dark, but very moving, movie, based on the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, and the Prague resistance during World War II, and their efforts to damage Hitler’s chain of command. So, with all of the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get started on the first full chapter for the Invasion of Mandalore, and the final battle of the Second Mandalorian Civil War. Oh, and I just wanted to clarify something, the reason that the _Megador_ is the last Super Star Destroyer in the Star Wars Universe in my story is because before _Legacy of the Force_ , there were three of said ships remaining, and in that series, the _Dominion_ was destroyed in _Invincible_ , and the Guardian was heavily damaged in _Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible: Special Edition_ , so I decided to just have it scrapped in order to get rid of it, as by the comic book series, _Star Wars: Legacy_ , there are no Super Star Destroyers left in service. I might get rid of the _Megador_ in this story, or maybe not. But, it hardly matters, as there is still over seventy years before _Legacy_ begins, so anything could happen to the ship, as well as the _Nossor Ri_ and the other _Vicount_ -Class Star Defenders that may be in existence at this point in the timeline. Anyway, it’s time for all of us to get on with the story, for real this time.**

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

Edaan Palpatine was, for the first time in his life, ready to get into the thick of the battle, because, unlike his previous missions, he could release all of his pent up rage and frustrations on people who he believed truly deserved to die, as they willingly followed a madwoman that was intent on not just destroying everyone else’s way of life, but trying to destroy the fabric of the universe itself, which has not been attempted on such a scale since the time of the Sith Lord Darth Traya, also known as the fallen Jedi Master Kreia, the teacher of two of the most legendary and powerful Jedi of the Old Republic: Revan and Meetra Surik. Unlike the Sith of the Lost Tribe, who were just defending their way of life from outsiders who wanted to eradicate all traces of the Sith from the galaxy, and Xasha Xizor’s followers, that wanted to improve their lot in life, the followers of Natasi Daala were intent on killing and slaughtering anyone who did not share their way of thinking.

That was why he and his crew, minus Akku and Jarael, the former of which had, just over an hour ago, decided to help his company of Mandalorians, as well as Wraith Squadron, take out the _Ardus Kaine_ , Moff Porrak Vansyn’s personal Star Destroyer, and hopefully take out the Moff himself, in order to throw his portion of Daala’s fleet into disarray, quickening their victory over the first half of Neo Death Watch’s Fleet, while the latter of which had to stay on Mandalore in order to assist the medics and their support staffs that came from Rhinnal. So, with their crew reduced by two members, Edaan and Adari sat in the pilot and copilot seats, respectively, and had Robonino and Vua man the turrets in order to take out any enemy fighters in their way, while Atai and Artoo were ready to fix up any systems that were damaged by enemy fighters or capital ships.

“Everyone ready?” Edaan asked over the ship’s intercom as the ship rapidly closed the distance between the enemy fighters about a few kilometers away from them.

“Affirmative.” the robotic voice of Artoo said.

“You betcha, boss!” Robonino jubilantly said.

“Yes.” Vua stoically said.

“What do you think, Edaan?” Atai sarcastically said.

“Good, because the enemy is two kilometers away, and we’ll within firing range in less than a minute. May the Force be with us all.” Edaan said in complete seriousness as he deactivated the ship’s speakers and prepped the ship’s forward deflector shields for combat. Thirty seconds later, the enemy fighters were in firing range, and said over the ship’s comms, “All ships, open fire!” With those four words said, the _Second Chance_ opened fire on the nearest TIE Fighter, which, despite its shield generators at full strength, was quickly destroyed by the YT-1300 freighter’s light turbolasers. Once the first shot was fired, the battle quickly descended into a dogfight and disorganized brawl, as fighters from each side scrambled to stay alive over the escalating chaos that was consuming the fighter squadrons of both sides.

*

_Thirty Minutes Later_

Nash Windrider was in the zone right now. In the past half hour, he had destroyed three _bes'uliiks_ , two accursed X-Wings, three B-Wings, and one Vyrhawk fighter-bomber, while only losing two members of his squad of twelve-man TIE Defender fighter squadron. Of course, his fighter complement had been reduced by five percent to the three percent that the Shadow Alliance had lost in the last thirty minutes.

Even so, both sides had yet to play all of their cards yet, so it was too soon to tell who would win the war.

*

Syri Antilles was deathly serious right now. So far, her squadron had destroyed three squadron’s worth of enemy starfighters without any casualties, but that would eventually change at the rate that enemies were coming after them. She only hoped that her sister and her squadron’s mission was going smoothly, as she did not want to be the one to tell their parents that Myri was killed by Daala’s followers. Shaking her head to clear her head of any distracting thoughts, as loosing her focus for even an instant could get her and her comrades killed, and resumed shooting at a nearby TIE Interceptor, destroying it after ten seconds of dogfighting.

*

 _I hope that Syal is alright._ Myri thought as she and her squadron were onboard the _Specter_ , Wraith Squdadron’s personal shuttle, as well as three Pursuer-class enforcement ships that were being used by Akku Sei II as transports for him and his thirty-man army of elite Mandalorian Supercommandos. The four ships were slowly making their way towards the disabled Star Destroyer, the _Ardus Kaine_ , which they would destroy, along with its commanders in order to hasten Daala’s defeat in order to move on to fighting the Sith. Realizing that there was nothing that she could do for her older sister, she prayed to the Force to protect her sibling as she and her teammates mentally prepared themselves for a battle within the Invasion of Mandalore that could help determine the course of the Second Mandalorian Civil War.

*

Sintas Vel and Ghes Orade were having a great time onboard the _Slave I_ , as they blasted away one traitorous Mandalorian Fighter after another with the ship’s dual laser cannons, and the occasional seismic charges, which decimated entire squadrons of fighters, and did some damage to some of the dreadnaughts and capital ships. But both Mandalorians would not be completely satisfied until the _Chimaera_ was either captured or destroyed by the Shadow Alliance, and Daala was paraded in chains by the victorious Mandalorians and their allies. _Well, better get back to doing what we do best, or this war will never end._ Sintas and Ghes simultaneously thought as they continued blasting away at enemy ships.

Onboard the _Megador_

“Well, our fighters seem to be holding their own so far.” Bwua’tu calmly observed from the holotable on the Super Star Destroyer’s bridge.

“Yes, but that could change at any time, Bwua’tu. Daala still hasn’t played her full hand yet with her ships, and we still haven’t seen the bulk of her renegade GA forces yet.” Boba pointed out, earning a nod of approval from the aging Bothan commander.

“Indeed, Mandalore. That’s why I have my communications-officer and my sensors-officer on high alert for any suspicious activity in the system.” Bwua’tu said in agreement before asking, “Have you heard anything from Goran and the rest of your people?” He saw Boba shake his head, and he then said, “I have a bad feeling about this turn of events. I’m starting to think that Daala’s playing us, but I don’t know how yet. Perhaps we should consider our… trump card. They might be able to sniff out Daala’s plans before she strikes.”

“Not yet. If we call them in too soon, then some of my people might defect, and we don’t want Daala to know that we have a few forces in reserve just yet. We need her to play her entire hand before we can consider calling in our remaining allies.” Boba replied.

“Fair enough. At least you’re not letting old grudges holding you back.” Bwua’tu said in a collected tone as he issued orders for one third of the starfighters and bombers to break off the attack and begin attacking the _Chimaera_ and various other capital ships and dreadnaughts in order to keep her fleet occupied, while leaving the _Ardus Kaine_ alone in order for Wraith Squadron and Akku and his Mandalorians to continue with their mission.

 _Five Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Chimaera

“Give it to me straight, Ensign Needa, what is the status in the restoration of the shield generators?” Daala curtly asked as she saw a squadron of her TIE Interceptors and TIE Bombers be destroyed by the more advanced ships on the Shadow Alliance’s side that vaguely resembled TIE Fighters. According to the losses being reported, Daala had lost six-point-five percent of her fighter complement over the last thirty-five minutes, while the accursed Shadow Alliance had lost three-point-eight percent of their starfighters. At this rate, her fighter complement would be destroyed in a matter of hours, and her enemies would have more than enough strength to destroy her fleet. To make matters worse, none of the enemy’s capital ships had been damaged yet, while Daala had lost eighteen of her capital ships and dreadnaughts before the battle even began, and the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild fleet was thrown into disarray with the loss of their flagship, so two of their ships had attempted to flee the battle, but Daala had Belok Rhal quickly destroy both ships in order to set an example for the remaining ships that desertion would not be tolerated.

“Well, Admiral, we need at least another hour before the shields can come online, and that’s only if the enemy fighters that are approaching us do not damage the ship any further than it already is.” The young woman reported in a professional and no-nonsense tone.

“Good. Have all anti-starfighter batteries be ready to repel any incursions, and redouble our efforts to restore the shields. We’ll need them if we’re going to make an impact on the battle.” Daala said in a confident tone. The ensign simply nodded as she went off to deliver those instructions to the repair crew that was fixing up the Star Destroyer’s engines.

She looked to see an offending image of three squadrons of A-Wings, B-Wings, and E-Wings make a run at the Chimaera, and, even from here, Daala could tell that they were out for her blood. “Have the foward batteries target the three approaching starfighter squadrons, and keep an eye out for the accursed Jedi and the Imperial Knights. They’re around here somewhere, and they will always interfere with your plans whenever you least expect it.” Daala warned her crew just before she saw one of Porrack Vansyn’s Star Destroyers, the _Kinman Doriana_ , named after one of then-Senator, Chancellor, and finally, Emperor Palpatine’s most valuable allies up to the early years of the First Galactic Empire, be destroyed in a fiery explosion. “Speak of the devils, and they shall appear.” She muttered under her breath as she saw the ship die, along with its entire crew, minus its fighters in combat. Knowing that it would be pointless to try and find the Jedi, as their StealthXs were almost impossible to detect, and her only Force-sensitive in the Neo Death Watch’s command, the aging bounty hunter Aurra Sing, was working with Nash Windrider as his second-in-command of his TIE Defender squadron, as well as of the entire starfighter fleet at Daala’s disposal.

“Recall Commander Sing to the ship at once, get Special Force Advisor Melusar up here by yesterday, and tell the Second Fleet to launch at once!” Daala barked to the comms-officer, who began to type away at a keyboard in order to transmit the two orders to the two key figures in Neo Death Watch, as well as the hidden fleet that Daala had at her secret rendezvous point.

 _If we’re going to have a chance at winning this kriffing war, we need to eliminate the advantage that the Force provides to these cursed Jedi lovers._ Daala thought to herself as she saw several explosions dot the space in-between the _Chimaera_ and the enemy fleet, signifiying that the enemy’s attack on the Star Destroyer had failed, and the remaining fighters were retreating to safety behind enemy lines, which brought a malevolent smile to Daala’s face as she thought of the deaths of those that dared to oppose her.

 _Onboard the bridge of the_ Bloodfin _, in Orbit Above the Dark Side of Mandalore_

“Is something the matter, Empress Fel?” Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti asked Jaina in concern as she adopted a concerned look on her face.

“I’m not sure, Ephin. I just have a vague suspicion that we’re walking into a trap, but I can’t see the signs.” Jaina said to one of her only friends, a grand moff, no less, in the Fel Empire.

“Well, I’m afraid that there’s nothing we can do unless you’re certain, Empress. If we cause Kre’frey and Nevil to move from our current position, the other half of Daala’s fleet will be able to land on Mandalore and cause untold devastation across the planet, and cause a lot of deaths, both military, and civilian.” Ephin reminded his leader.

“I know. I just wish that I could be out there in the thick of things, just like the old days when I was just another Jedi Knight. And, please don’t give me another speech on the importance of duty, or the well-being of the morale of the soldiers under our command, or I just might lose it.” Jaina practically whined, causing Ephin and the rest of the bridge’s crew to laugh in amusement.

“Well, it looks to me like you understand the situation perfectly, so I don’t need to rein you in for reckless actions.” Ephin said in mock seriousness as Jaina sat down in a meditative position in order to eas her anxious nerves.

 _I hope that Edaan, Mirta, and everyone else is doing alright._ Jaina worriedly thought as she opened her mind to the currents of the Force.

_Back on the Bright Side of Mandalore_

_Man, it feels good to be back in the thick of battle._ Corran thought as he and his five-man squadron blasted away at the gravity well projectors of one of Porrack Vansyn’s Imperial Interdictor Cruisers, and each X-Wing launched two proton torpedoes at the bridge of the cruiser, casuing a chain reaction which, within three minutes, destroyed the ship, leaving Daala with only one Interdictor Cruiser.

Even though he took little pleasure in taking out the lives of the free galaxy’s enemies, he could not help but feel that this battle was too easy, and that Daala hadn’t played her full hand as of yet. Deciding to take a risk, he opened a channel with the _Megador_ , _Second Chance_ , _Varl’s Legacy_ , _Bloodfin_ , _Dragon Queen II_ , _Ralroost_ , and the city of Kyrimorut, where the Grey Cadre was headquartered, in order to speak with them about his suspicions.

“Everyone, this is Shadow Leader. Does everyone copy?” Corran said, earning a string of “affirmatives” from each member of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command. “Does everyone else think that Daala’s attack is too obvious? We’re slowly cutting through her fleet, and we haven’t seen her second fleet emerge yet. I think that we’re being played.”

“ _I agree, Master Horn. But until we get can figure out the rest of Daala’s plans, we need to keep up the attack in order to keep the pressure on Daala and off of Mandalore._ ” Edaan said from his freighter.

“ _If there’s nothing else, we need to close this channel open before Daala cracks the encryption for this transmission, so-_ ” The rough voice of Etahn A’baht said before he stopped speaking, making Corran think that he was interrupted. After ten seconds, the forcibly retired general returned, cautiously saying, “ _Our comm-specialists have just decoded a portion of a transmission to the planet Gargon. It said, ‘Commence attack at once.’ Daala must have ordered her Galactic Alliance forces to launch their portion of the attack. All fleets should stay on high alert until we can determine where it will strike within two hours._ ”

“ _Agreed_.” Trista Zel stoically said, not betraying any emotion at the prospect of being ambushed by Daala’s second fleet. “ _At least we have a warning about where it will come from. That is the first step on turning the situation to our advantage._ ” She then cut the feed form the transmission in order to coordinate the Hapan portion of the Shadow Alliance’s fleets. Each of the other ships then cut their connection to the commwave, until only Corran and Edaan were left in the transmission.

“ _Well, at least everyone is staying on high alert._ ” Edaan said with a slight amount of optimism in his voice as Adari barked orders to the gunners on the _Second Chance_.

“Yes, that’s true, Edaan. May the Force be with us all. Shadow Leader out.” Corran said as he disconnected the StealthX’s comms from the link with the _Second Chance_. I hope that we can figure out Daala’s plans out soon, or we may find ourselves biting more than we can chew. Corran thought as he and his four other Jedi comrades flew to intercept a squadron of Scimitar Assault Bombers from attacking one of Bwua’tu’s five Star Galleon-class frigates.

 _On the_ Chimaera

“Did you send out the transmission to the Second Fleet?” Daala asked the comms-officer.

“Yes, Admiral, and I also allowed the first half of the transmission to be decoded, just like you instructed.” The officer said in a obedient tone.

“Good. Continue to monitor any transmissions that we can intercept from the Shadow Alliance. The universe knows that we’ll need any advantage that we can get if we’re going to emerge victorious.” Daala said, speaking mostly to herself for the second sentence, just as Roly Melusar and Aurra Sing appeared on the bridge.

“You wanted to see us, Admiral?” Roly asked as Aurra simply stood there in stoic silence.

“Yes, Melusar. I think that it’s time for your special projects to have a field test. Are your weapons and equipment ready?” Daala asked in a predatory tone.

“Almost, Admiral. I just need another twenty-four hours to triple check my calculations, since, once we deploy them, we will play our best hand.” Roly said in a scientific and barely concealed eager tone.

“Get it done in twenty. I don’t want to leave anything to chance with the Jedi and their Imperial Knights.” Daala brusquesly ordered, leaving an excited Roly to nod and head back to his lab onboard the _Chimaera_ , leaving Aurra alone with the admiral.

“So, what do you need me for, Daala?” Aurra asked in an informal tone, which didn’t offend Daala, as she knew how much the older woman did not like any central command too much.

“I need you, Commander Sing, to stay here in order to inform me if any Jedi or Force-sensitives approach the Chimaera, as they’re stealth technology has surpassed even my expectations.” Daala explained, causing the pale hybrid bounty hunter to cross her arms.

“So, I’m just basically a glorified Force detector for you?” she asked in an annoyed tone.

“Just until Special Force Advisor Melusar’s weapons are up and running. Then, you can get back to killing the enemy for me. And, as a bonus, I’ll double your salary.” Daala said, causing Aurra to adopt a smile on her usually grim face at the prospect at receiving that many credits.

“Deal.” Aurra simply said as she went up to the bridge’s window to extend her Force sense in order to see if any Jedi or Force-sensitives were in the general area. After a minute of searching, she turned to face Daala, and said in a factual tone, “There are five strong Force-sensitives in Sector Nine, another in Sector Twelve, and one more in Sector Four.”

“Excellent.” Daala said as she turned to the comms-officer to say, “Order all capital ships in the area to do a grid scan of those sectors, and isolate and destroy any fighters or freighters that are in the area.”

“At once, Admiral.” The officer said as she quickly typed the order before sending it to each capital ship in the fleet.

 _Let’s see your precious Force and Shadow Alliance stand up to us now, Edaan Palpatine._ Daala viciously thought as the saw the sensors on her ship begin their search-and-destroy mission against the Jedi and their allies.

**Well, that ends this chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as I will be busy with schoolwork from here on out, so my updates may not come as quickly as I like. I am sorry for the bad news, but I had to be honest with you. Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter, as I value your feedback. Oh, and did you watch the latest episode of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, as it was amazing: April becoming a full-fledged kunoichi, the debut of Shinigami, the return of Karai and her efforts to restore the Foot Clan to what it was before Shredder came to power, the mutation of Shredder, it was all brilliant. Oh, and is anyone else concerned about the Aeons crystal that is in April O’neil’s possession, and how it may corrupt her like the One Ring form _The Lord of the Rings_ corrupted Frodo after a long period of time. I guess that we’ll just have to keep watching to see just what happens. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! **

 


	14. Chapter 13

**Hello, everybody! What is up on this fine late summer day? I’ve just finished my assignments for the day (August 17, 2016, to be exact), so that left me some free time to work on my story. By the way, how long do you think the invasion of Mandalore should be, because I hope that I can make it at least ten chapters long, if I’m lucky, that is, because I’ve never written a massive war battle, or any battle, for that matter before I started this series. And, there’s no way that I can measure up to the brilliance of some of the most legendary Star Wars authors of all time, such as Alexander Freed ( _Star Wars: Battlefront: Twilight Company_ ), James Luceno (his _Star Wars: The New Jedi Order_ books), Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston (their _Star Wars: X-Wing_ books), Timothy Zahn and his _Star Wars_ books, and Karen Traviss and her _Republic Commando_ and _Imperial Commando_ books. But, like my father said a day or two ago, I don’t have to. I just have to do the best that I can do, and everything will work out in the end. At least, I hope that that’s the case. Anyway, thank you, Shelly Knight, for following and listing my latest story as a favorite. It makes me happy to know that some people out there are enjoying my stories. Speaking of books, I can’t wait for the holidays and my birthday, as I plan to get a lot of books of different genres for those two separate occasions, which are a short distance of time apart. Oh, by the way, I just had a small burst of inspiration, and I think that I will include a certain female journalist that was introduced in the Star Wars EU comic, _Invasion_. And, I will include a person that was introduced as a Thrawn supporter in The Essential Guide to Warfare. I’m sure that you guys, and girls, or course, can figure out who these two people are. Well, with the pleasantries out of the way, just like always with my Author’s notes, what do you say that we get back into the heat of the battle? And, hopefully this time my chapter will be more detailed than the others. May the powers that be guide my hands as I type away, as I have little idea what I’m going to write next, since I make things up as I go along when I write, as that is my creative process. **

_Two Hours Later, Onboard the_ Megador

After the Shadow Alliance’s fleet had maintained its defensive positions above Mandalore for two additional hours, and destroyed or disabled approximately twenty-three percent of Daala’s starfighters, which amounted to half of a wing of Scimitar assault bombers, one wing of the heavily modified TIE/LN Starfighters, two wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, four wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, and five of Daala’s heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships of the same design that Boba Fett used for a time as the _Slave II_ , while the Shadow Alliance lost ten percent of their fighters, amounting to three wings of starfighters such as TIE Fighters, X-Wings, a wing of Mandalorian fighters of various designs, and various Galactic Alliance ships. In addition, about eighteen percent of her capital ships, which amounted to two Assault Frigates Mark II, one of the _Lancer_ -class Frigates, one _Imperial_ I-class Star Destroyer, and an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser that came with the aging fleet of the renegade Moff Porrack Vansyn, one of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard’s two _Endurqnce_ -class Fleet Carriers, minus its already deployed wing of K-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings each, three of the nine renegade Commenori nine support ships that were under the command of Fyor Rodan, eight Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, a _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, two _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild’s flagship and three of the guild’s _Gladiator_ -class Star Destroyers, a _Scimitar_ -class frigate, a _Crusader_ -class corvette, two _Scimitar_ -class frigates, four _Crusader_ -class corvettes, two _Assassin_ -class corvettes, five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, and two of the seven _Keldabe_ -class battleships, were either disabled or destroyed in the fighting, which was a great contrast to the Shadow Alliance’s three percent, comprising three Star Destroyers. By this point, High Command and Supreme Commander Bwua’tu had ordered every available ship to attack Daala’s remaining ships, despite Boba Fett and Edaan’s objections, as the two leaders suspected that Daala was drawing in their fleets for an ambush. But, unable to determine any of Daala’s plans, or decode anymore of the transmission that the Grey Cadre had managed to intercept, the rest of High Command had decided to press the attack. Nearly every ship in the fleet under Bwua’tu’s command, along with the flagships of the various factions of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet, ranging from Black Sun’s Imperial Light Cruiser, the _Spectre_ , the Hapan Royal Navy’s flagship, the _Dragon Queen II_ , to the Galactic Alliance, and the galaxy’s sole remaining Super Star Destroyer, the _Megador_ , and Gavin Darklighter’s _Galactic_ -class Battle Carrier, the _Dodonna_ , along with three quarters of their respective fleets, slowly advanced on the majority of the remainder of Daala’s fleet, leaving about one hundred warships that were comprised of Azzim Anjilic Atirue’s fleet of Hutt ships, the volunteers that had flocked from across the galaxy to aid the Jedi, former followers of Xasha Xizor’s fleet to defend Mandalore against any further incursions on the bright side of Mandalore, a handful of ships from each of the factions that went after Daala’s fleet, and the Mandalorians that deserted from Daala’s fleet before the invasion began.

As the fleets converged on Daala’s location, Bwua’tu and Boba Fett observed the movements of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet from the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer with a hard-won experience for war, and the two of them were very uneasy due to the ease that they were winning the battle.

Although, that was not the only reason that they were apprehensive. A handful of reporters and journalists, such as the Jedi-sympathetic journalist Cianba, who was active since before the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong War, and had earned a fierce reputation as a person who was unafraid to call out galactic governments for their inactivity, as well as the pro-Imperial writer Lenang O’Pali, who had become legendary a year ago for his unwavering support of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Emperor Palpatine’s policies, which made him a Daala sympathizer, at least in the eyes of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, painting them as visionaries and heroes that were preparing the galaxy for the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion. They, minus Cianba, who had arrived at the city of Kyrimorut in order to protect her crew while placing drones across the Mandalore system in order to provide her viewers with excellent holoimages for her audience, were massing at the edge of the system in order to get the best images for their viewers, which disgusted Boba Fett, as war wasn’t for the pleasure of civilians, like the Rodian clans believed.

“Hard to believe that we’re letting some reporters and _sleemo_ journalists record our men’s suffering just so they can get a big fat paycheck.” Boba said in a sickened tone.

“Not all journalists are like that, Mandalore.” Bwua’tu countered, before continuing, saying, “Just remember how Cianba and Madhi Vaant risked their lives during their respective periods of turbulence in the galaxy in order to alert the entire galaxy to the truth of what was really going on across the galaxy.”

“Most reporters aren’t as honorable as those two women, Bwua’tu.” Boba calmly disputed.

“True enough, and-” Bwua’tu said before the console from the sensor-officer’s seat went off in a blaze of alarms, causing any idle conversation between the two leaders to come to a screeching halt. After an instant of being caught off-guard, Bwua’tu and Boba went to the officer, and the aging Bothan said, “Status Report, Lieutenant!”

“Sir, the long-range sensors are going off like crazy. According to these readings, there are at least one hundred capital ships coming out of hyperspace in two minutes, and the fleet is approaching us from…” upon reading the coordinates, the lieutenant’s eyes bulged even further before saying, “Sector Twenty!”

“Sector Twenty, that’s… that’s right above us!” Boba worriedly said as he and Bwua’tu went to the holotable to see what was kind of fleet was coming.

In addition, Bwua’tu ordered the comms-officer to issue a system wide alert to the entire fleet, as well as the reporters that were in the Mandalore system.

 _Ten Minutes Earlier, on the_ Thrawn’s Legacy

Lenang O’Pali was not in a good mood right now. The Neo Death Watch movement was being beaten back by this filthy Jedi-led Shadow Alliance, and, at the rate the battle was progressing, the battle for Natasi Daala would be lost within another three, maybe four hours, if they were lucky, and the vile Jedi and their minions would continue their reign of chaos and indecisiveness. It was when he prepared to address his galaxy-wide audience of likeminded visionaries, from Bakura all the way to Belkadan, that the battle was lost, that the _Chimaera_ hailed him. Curious as to what the Admiral wanted with him, he activated his holonet transceiver, and the image of a strong and confident Natasi Daala standing at full attention.

“Admiral Daala, this is a surprise. I would have thought that you would be more focused on keeping your forces alive, not conversing with a small-time writer and journalist such as myself.” Lenang said.

“ _On the contrary, Lenang, I think that you give yourself too little credit. I read your article on Grand Admiral Thrawn,_ Mitth’raw’nuruodo Reconsidered: A Patriot’s Perspective _, and I found it to be quite illuminating. I loved it so much, that I want you and your crew to come onto my ship to see the battle unfold._ ” Daala said with a great deal of honesty and pride in her voice as she was received a datapad from one of her Sullustian lieutenants.

“Forgive me, Admiral, but is that wise? Would your crew not be distracted by my crew’s appearance in a time that you desperately need to maintain your complete focus in order to defeat the enemy?”

“ _Oh, don’t worry, Lenang, my crew is comprised of only highly trained professionals, and they wouldn’t be distracted in the slightest by your appearance. If anything, it might raise their spirits to see that important people are taking notice of our struggle, and that the entire galaxy is depending on us to free them from the yoke of tyranny._ ” Natasi assured the reporter, before continuing, saying, “ _In fact, I will have Wing Commander Nash Windrider escort you to the Chimaera safely, so that you don’t run into any trouble._ ”

“Alright.” Lenang hesitatingly said, suspicious as to why Daala was so calm despite the odds that were against her and her allies, but, at the same time, eager to get a good scoop for his viewers.

 _Twelve Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Varl’s Legacy

 _This is_ not _what I had in mind when I offered the Hutts’ aid to Mandalore._ Azzim Anjilic Atirue grimly thought as he was blasting orders to his crew, as well as the ships that were under his command, as he had received the coordinates for Daala’s reinforcements exactly ninety seconds ago. He was praying to the Force for salvation when his sensor-officer shouted, “My lord, approximately one hundred and fifty ships are exiting hyperspace within ten seconds!”

“All ships, rotate all weapons to the source of the exit point out of hyperspace. And stop calling me ‘My Lord!’ Just call me Commodore!” Azzim shouted, frustrated that people treated him like he was their master, when he was just their military leader.

“Of course, my lor- I mean, Commodore!” The officer said, correcting himself at the last second.

Once those words were said, Daala’s second fleet of traitorous Galacitc Alliance senators and their sector forces came out of hyperspace, and what was seen on the tactical monitor was frightening: fifty _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, ten Nebulon-B Frigates, two Mediator-class Battle Cruisers, ten MC90 Capital Ship cruisers, five _Marauder_ -class Corvettes, five Dornean Gunships, three Bulwark Battlecruisers, five Republic Star Destroyers, three Nebula-class Star Destroyers, and three Endurance-class Fleet carriers. One officer, Azzim couldn’t tell who, as he was too petrified by the reinforcements that Daala sent to truly pay attention, whispered in a trembling voice, “ _By the Force_!” If Azzim wasn’t too busy being scared by the fleet’s presence, he would have voiced his agreement with the officer.

 

 _Onboard the_ Ralroost

Admrial Treast Kre’frey could not believe how Daala, her slaver, Imperial, renegade Galactic Alliance, traitorous corporate allies, and Neo Death Watch minions had played the entire Shadow Alliance. As he, Commodore Kral Nevil, Grand Moff Sarreti, and Galactic Empress Jaina Solo, were barking orders to their fleets to make a microjump into hyperspace out of the Mandalore System in order to get in a position to jump to the Shadow Alliance’s main fleet’s aid, he was mentally cursing himself and the rest of High Command, with the exceptions of Edaan and Boba, as they warned the Alliance of a possible trap, for falling for such a simple but effective maneuver. But, by the navigator’s expectations, it would take at least one hour for their fleet to reach the rest of the Alliance’s position, and in that time period, Daala could have forced the First Fleet to surrender. Force willing, it wouldn’t come to that. Kre’frey thought as his personal Bothan Assault Carrier jumped into hyperspace ahead of the Second Fleet.

 _Onboard the_ Raptor

Mirta Gev was very livid right now, and very nervous, as she and her family were now in even graver danger from Daala’s reinforcements, since she wanted her two children to remain in the domed city of Sundari with the rest of the civilians that volunteered to assist the Shadow Alliance, as well as the Mandalorian children that defected from Daala’s army, while their parents and great-grandparents were fighting for their freedom against Daala’s tyranny. With all of those ships, there was no doubt that Daala’s ground forces would be able to, at the very least, punch a hole through the Alliance’s line and begin to land forces onto Mandalore, where they would attack the three major cities on the planet: Keldabe, the planet’s official capital, Sundari, the defunct pacifistic New Mandalorians’ capital city, and Kyrimorut, a former hideaway for Grand Army of the Republic deserters-turned bustling city and current command center for all of the Shadow Alliance’s actions in the galaxy.

The ship began to groan as turbolasers and starfighters began to attack the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, which caused Mirta to snap out of her worry for her family, and to adopt her commander personae in order to protect the soldiers under her command from the three Star Destroyers and their wings of various fighters that were targeting her portion of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet.

 _I guess that Daala is still a vicious psychopath bent on exacting vengeance on anyone that’s humiliated her._ Mirta thought with a little bit of humor in her mind as she blasted out orders to her crew to take evasive action in order to avoid the small force heading their way, and to deploy all of their fleet’s fighters in order to blunt Daala’s forces.

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Specter

Voort sa Binring was not surprised by Daala’s massive fleet of reinforcements, or the Shadow Alliance’s disadvantage that they had, as, being the master strategist that he was, he had anticipated this turn of events. But, it changed little about their mission, which was to destroy the _Ardus Kaine_ and kill Moff Porrack Vanysn in order to throw his small fleet into disarray. What it did change, however, was how they decided to accomplish it. That was what Voort, Akku Sei II, and their respective teams were going over as they rapidly approached the Star Destroyer.

“So, to recap, Akku and his team will land in the _Ardus Kaine_ ’s main hangar and cause as much death and destruction across the ship in order to provide a distraction for Wraith Squadron to arrive at the Star Destroyer’s bridge, where we will reprogram the ship to ram into the last Interdictor cruiser in Vansyn’s fleet, allowing any ships in Shadow Alliance’s fleet that were unable to fight anymore a chance to retreat and warn the galaxy of Daala’s threat to the governments that they were beholden to. Any questions?”

At that question, Akku raised a holographic hand, and then asked, “ _Wraith Leader, what happens if we can’t destroy the ship because it proves too much of a challenge, and Moff Vansyn is unable to be reached for assassination? Do we abort the mission?_ ”

“No, Akku. If we cannot destroy the ship, then we disable it as best that we can so it cannot help Daala anymore. And we’re going to kill the moff, no matter what, even if it kills us.” Voort replied, earning a nod of approval from the Anzat Mandalorian, along with his thirty-man company.

“Everyone, get ready! We’ll be docking with one of the ship’s airlocks in five minutes!” Jesmin Tainer shouted from the ship’s cockpit.

“All right, everyone, we know the odds are against us, but we’ve beaten greater odds before, so this will be a walk in the park. Now, let’s remind the galaxy the value of Wraith Squadron and the Mandalorians!” At those words being said by Voort, the crew, along with the holographic image of Akku and his lieutenants, roared in approval before the holonet connection was cut.

“Scut, do you have the neoglith masquers ready in case we run into any trouble?” Voort asked the Yuuzhan Vong member of the squadron.

“Do you even need to ask, Piggy?” Viull Gorsat humorously asked as he opened a case that full of heavily modified Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology that was in suspended animation. He gave each member of his squadron, minus Turman Darra, who, as a Clawdite, could change his appearance into any form he desired, and Huhunna and Voort, who, as a Wookiee and Gamorrean, respectively, would act as a pair of mercenary bodyguards that decided to leave the Shadow Alliance’s services for the “winning side.” As each member who received a neoglith masquer put them on their face, it spread out across their head and altered their entire appearance to be completely unrecognizable, in the event that anyone onboard the Star Destroyer recognized them, which was heavily unlikely, but possible, due to the spies and sympathizers that Daala likely still had within the Galactic Alliance’s government and military. In addition, Voort and Huhunna were both equipped with mercenary outfits and the latest weapons and equipment in order to keep their cover alive.

As the ship reached one of the _Ardus Kaine_ ’s airlocks, the _Specter_ docked with said airlock. Once the boarding tube was firmly in place, Voort and his team activated their earpiece communicators, and Voort said into his communicator, “Brain Eater, this is ‘Fat Pig,’ what’s your situation, over?”

Once Akku, who was going by the code name of “Brain Eater” during this mission, due to his species’ ability to devour a person’s soup, or life essence, responded, the sound of blaster fire could be heard intensely in the background as he shouted, “ _It’s a slaughterhouse in here! We’re blasting our way through the hangar, and are moving our way to the communications center to disable the ship’s comms within and without the ship. Over and out!_ ” And with that, Akku ended the communication, and left Wraith Squadron to enter the Star Destroyer in their borrowed Imperial officer uniforms.

 _Thirty Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Megador

“Deploy Blade and Comet Squadrons to protect the _Dodanna_ , and have all forward turbolasers destroy the _Liberator_ and _Subjugator_!” Bwua’tu barked out to the comms-officer, who quickly spoke the orders to the two B-Wing squadrons and gunners onboard the Super Star Destroyer in order to give them their new commands. Soon enough, the two starfighter squadrons blasted their way from the ship’s bow and headed to Admiral Darklighter’s flagship, and the forward turbolasers quickly destroyed a _Marauder_ -class Corvette and a Dornean Gunship. Despite the loss of two of Daala’s latest reinforcements, Neo Death Watch still had the upper hand in the ongoing battle: In the past forty minutes, Daala’s two fleets had begun to encircle the majority of the Shadow Alliance’s First Fleet, and had begun a new war of attrition, which had cost the Alliance one _Galactic_ -class Battle Carrier, a Bothan Assault Cruisers, two Nova-Class battle cruisers, and two _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, while Daala had only lost two Nebulon-B Frigates and an _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyer, in addition to the just-destroyed _Marauder_ -class Corvette and Dornean Gunship, once her reinforcements had arrived. In addition, the _Megador_ had suffered minor hull damage so far before its attackers were repelled, but it was only a matter of time until the enemy ships returned. To make matters worse, Daala’s troop transports and three remaining wings of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports had broken through the remaining ships that were under Azzim’s command, and had begun to land on the surface of Mandalore. And according to the worse calculations of the sensors on the Super Star Destroyer, there were as many as forty-three thousand Mandalorians preparing to assault Keldabe, Sundari, and Kyrimorut, in addition to the renegade Imperial, Galactic Alliance, Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild, and various corporations’ forces, which brought the numbers up to about eighty thousand, giving Daala’s ground troops the edge on the planet as well, as the Shadow Alliance’s ground troops numbered just over sixty-five thousand warriors, which included Boba Fett’s Mandalorians, the Fel Empire’s elite Five-Hundred-and-First legion, the two brigades of Void Jumpers that the Galactic Alliance had officially sent, and the various planetary militias and clans that came to the aid of Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine and his allies.

“I would have expected Daala to have more ships, as well as more advanced ones.” Boba Fett gravely said as he paced around the bridge in frustration.

“She brought enough to give her the edge, Fett. Now will you accept the Jedi’s aid, because it’s only a matter of time until we’re overwhelmed by Daala’s forces?!” Bwua’tu lividly asked, angry at himself for falling for such a simple maneuver by his former lover.

After sighing in defeat, Fett realized that, unless help arrived soon, the Second Mandalorian Civil War was lost, said, “Give the order. And tell Aristocra Formbi to hurry up with getting us those reinforcements, since we need all the help we can get.”

Bwua’tu simply nodded, and prepared to speak to the comms-officer, but the officer said, “Don’t worry, Sir. I’m already sending out the messages to Phaeda and the Chiss Ascendancy. They’ll get them within minutes.”

“Excellent work, Lieutenant.” Bwua’tu said in genuine relief that his officers could be trusted to take the initiative as he and Boba returned to the bridge in order to lead their forces in battle.

 _Meanwhile, on the_ Remember Artorias, _in the city of Sundari_

Cianba was in her element right now, being in the thick of a battle that could help decide the fate of the galaxy. It made her think of her days over thirty years ago during the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, when she was young at the age of twenty-five, and full of energy, and took part in the Battle of Shramar alongside a coalition of the soon-to-be-created Outer Rim Allaince in order to combat the Yuuzhan Vong while the New Republic, under the conniving Bothan Chief of State, Borsk Fey’lya, had, aside from the Jedi and a handful of New Republic forces, had essentially abandoned the Outer Rim to the invaders’ nonexistent mercy. She, and her crew of journalists and assistants, were originally in the city of Kyrimorut in order to get good images of the preparations for the unavoidable invasion that would soon occur, and to get some comments from the soldiers and officers who were fortifiying the city for attack, but they were ordered to go the domed desert city of Sundari for their own safety. Cianba protested strongly, but acquiesced when her friend and rival in the journalistic business, Shohta Laar, from The Perre Needmo Newshour, agreed to stay behind in order to feed her details of the battle for her viewers, in addition to the viewers of The Perre Needmo Newshour, so said viewers could be able to prepare for the growing possibility that Natasi Daala might win the Second Mandalorian Civil War and inflict even more havoc on the galaxy.

It was for this reason that Cianba was wishing that she were younger, so she could be a part of the efforts to repel the ongoing siege. But, since she wasn’t, she had to stay with the civilians and help guide them through this difficult trial in their lives, which was why she was assisting the soldiers with arming the volunteers and civilians in case the Neo Death Watch forces breached the domed city and began to massacre the noncombatants, all the while sending images and reports on the progress of the invasion in order to keep the citizens of the galaxy aware of any changes or sudden developments.

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Chimaera

“Admiral, we just detected a low-pulse transmission from the Megador! It was faint, but we managed to detect it just before it left the system.” The comms-officer said to Daala, who whipped her head around to walk straight to the officer.

“Did you decode the transmission?” she asked.

“No, Admiral, it was too well-encrypted. But, we did manage to get a general direction of where the transmission was sent. It looks like it was sent to… this can’t be right.”

“What is it, Lieutenant? Where did we trace it?” Daala impatiently asked.

“It appears to be the Cademimu Sector, Admiral.” The lieutenant said.

“The Cademimu Sector? Why would…” Daala asked before she paused and realized what this meant as she whispered, “Those clever bastards.”

“I beg your pardon, Admiral.” The comms-officer asked.

“It’s nothing. Good work, Lieutenant.” Daala said as she turned on her comlink and spoke into it, saying, “Melusar, come in.”

“ _What is it, Admiral? I’m a little busy right now trying to finish calculations for our special arsenal, and this interruption is not helping matters._ ” Melusar frustratingly said from his secret lab onboard the Star Destroyer.

“There’s been a change in plans. Bwua’tu and Fett called for help from the Jedi in the Cademimu Sector, and we have eight hours at best before they arrive. We need those weapons ready in seven.” She ordered.

After a moment of uttering a string of curses, Melusar said, “I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises. Let’s hope that we’ll be ready by then, or we’ll be in deep _poodoo_.”

“You’l have to do your best, my friend.” Daala said in a reassuring tone before shutting off her comlink and refocused her attention onto the battle, turning to Aurra Sing and said, “Have you found the Jedi?”

“No, Daala. They’ve all hidden themselves from the Force, and our ships can’t get a lock on them.” Aurra honestly said.

“Keep looking. They’ll slip up soon, and when they do, we’ll be there to eliminate them.” Daala ordered the bounty hunter, who only nodded at the order.

 _Meanwhile, Above the Planet Phaeda, Onbaord the Star Destroyer_ Relentless

Kyle Katarn, Kyp Durron, and T’ra Saa were deep in mediation in the Jedi Grand Master’s cabin when the door slid open to reveal a young male Imperial lieutenant walked in to cordially say, “Forgive me for the interruption, Masters, but I was told by the captain to tell you to come to the bridge right away. We just received a transmission from the Mandalore System.”

“The Mandalore System? You did a good job, Lieutenant. We’ll be up to the bridge right away.” T’ra thankfully said.

_Five Minutes Later_

As the three Jedi Council Members walked onto the bridge of the Imperial _I_ -class Star Destroyer, the captain of the _Relentless_ , Vana Dorja, turned to face the three Jedi, and said, “Ah, Master Jedi, thank you for joining us so quickly. We received a transmission from Mandalore, and it called for us to head straight for the planet at once.”

“Why. Is the battle going poorly?” Kyp asked, getting right to the point.

“Straight to the point, I see, Master Durron.” Vana said while chuckling in amusement before she calmed herself and said, “I believe that it’s best if you read the message yourselves.” With that said, she handed the three Jedi a datapad that she was carrying, and each Jedi quickly read its contents.

_Daala has ambushed our fleet, and we need immediate reinforcements. Boba Fett has accepted your aid, so hurry and reinforce our position._

_Supreme Commander Bwua’tu._

As each Jedi handed back their datapads, Kyle said, “Jump into hyperspace at once, Captain. Time is of the essence.”

Agreeing with the Jedi, Vana quickly ordered the _Relentless_ and _Judicator_ to enter hyperspace, and both ships were estimated to enter the Mandalore System within six hours and forty minutes. _Let’s just hope that we can make it in time to make a difference._ She thought as the Relentless entered hyperspace.

**And, that wraps up the second full chapter of the Siege of Mandalore. So, tell me what you guys thought of the chapter, as I value your input. Now, on to trivial matters. I saw _Ben-Hur_ three days ago, and it was amazing. It was easily one of the best movies that I’ve ever seen, as it showed just how powerful forgiveness can be. And I saw _Hell of High Water_ today, and it was pretty good. Oh, and I am almost four hundred pages done with the book on Ulysses S. Grant, and it is great. I can’t wait to see how Grant fares in peacetime after the American Civil War. By the way, have you been following theforce.net’s Jedi Council Board Literature forums, because if you have, then you will know the theories that are going around about the upcoming Ahsoka novel, and I am gravely concerned about the theories. I mean, really, making Ahsoka bisexual in order to please a single fan base, while forgetting all about the various religious groups that make up so much of the Star Wars fan community. It just makes me so angry when I find out just how much the leaders in Disney and Lucasfilm are changing Star Wars in order to supposedly diversify it, when they’re more likely dividing up the fan base into separate factions. I hope that some good things occur soon, or I may just have to consider leaving Star Wars behind, and that will just break my heart. Forgive me if I offend you, but I just have to be honest, in a responsible manner, of course, as I am not a thug. May the Lord be with us all in these difficult times, as I feel that we will be tested greatly in the days to come, if we haven’t been already. Anyway, I hope that all of you had a great weekend, and that you do well in life. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe. **

 


	15. Chapter 14

**Hello, all types of Star Wars fans. How are you doing on such a warm summer day in the midst of school and work (Well, the latter for some people, as I, unfortunately, do not have a job as of yet, but I am looking, don’t worry about that.), as I am doing fine? By the way, I am sorry if I might have upset anyone who holds different views or values for me, but I just wanted to speak my mind about certain matters in a responsible manner. So, with apologies out of the way, how are you enjoying the glorious world- no, universe- that is fan fiction, as I am loving so much of it, ranging from Powerslammer’s _Rajmael of Clan Lavellan_ , The Incredible Muffin’s _Outcast Effect_ , Reborn Dark Phoenix’s _Vengeance: Men Among Gods_ , ArchReaperN7’s _IV: Holocaust_ and the rest of his Mass Effect stories, Lordtrayus’s _Fate of the Force_ and _Order of the Sith Lords: Rule of Two_ , Homer’s Disciple’s Dragon Age stories, and so many more stories. They rival, if not surpass, the best books in their respective franchises, and teach us the value of patience, as stories are works of art, which mean that their creators need time to make them come to life on the canvas that is fanfiction.net. And, speaking of _Outcast Effect_ , The Incredible Muffin just posted the twenty-fourth chapter of the story, leaving only one more chapter to go before the story is concluded. Oh, before I forget, how many people miss various Cartoon Network shows such as Young Justice, the 2011 iteration of Thundercats, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and Generator Rex? Man, those shows were good, and they should have been finished, or continued, in the case of Generator Rex. I really regret abandoning watching the network, but I had to stay true to who I am, and honor the days when DragonBall Z and Star Wars: The Clone Wars aired on Cartoon Network. Oh, and how many of you are... to put it lightly, disappointed with the changes that Disney and Lucasfilm are making to Star Wars, the worst of which is the discontinuation of the (at least to me) true Expanded Universe, because I am pretty ticked off with a significant amount of the changes that are being made, the worst of which are the new movies, as I am just not feeling them, if you know what I mean. Well, with all of the doom and gloom out of the way, let’s get started with the fourth action-packed chapter in this depiction of my own creation that is a war within Star Wars: the Second Mandalorian Civil War. May the Force be with the heroes, because with what I have in store for them, they’re gonna need as much of it as they can get. So, enjoy!**

_Ninety Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Nossor Ri

Commodore Kral Nevil was worried, which was evident to everyone present in the way he paced around the bridge of his command ship, _Viscount_ -class Star Defender, the _Nossor Ri_. Even though the Shadow Alliance’s Second Fleet had arrived to bolster the besieged First Fleet, Admiral Natasi Daala and her allies still retained a small but decisive advantage in ships, troops, and fighters, as her fleet had managed to inflict significant damage on the First Fleet, crippling or destroying twenty capital ships, ranging from Hutt Tarradas, to Hapan Battle Dragon, and _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyers, along with five wings of starfighters of various designs and affiliations in the last hour and forty minutes since Daala’s reinforcements had arrived to ambush the First Fleet. To add an even greater amount of concern to the situation, Daala’s eighty thousand troops were besieging the three main cities of Mandalore: Keldabe, Kyrimorut, and Sundari, and, despite the strong and fierce resistance that the sixty-five thousand warriors that comprised the Shadow Alliance’s army were putting up, the Shaodw Alliance was slowly losing ground and being pushed out of the cities, while any civilians and volunteers that were captured were taken to internment camps for processing until they could be put in a more secure prison.

 _If we don’t change our strategy soon, or get some much-needed reinforcements, we’re all going to be bantha fodder within a few hours._ Kral thought as he got back to work, ordering the two Star Destroyers that covered the _Nossor Ri_ ’s flank to deploy its fighter squadrons in order to intercept a wing of TIE Bombers and Vyrhawk fighter-bombers that were, according to the trajectory of their flight pattern, making a run for the city of Kyrimorut. Soon enough, the deployed wings of E-Wings and K-Wings intercepted the two wings of enemy fighters and decimated them, leaving only half a squadron of each type of fighter still flying, who quickly fled back to their territory in space. Despite the grim smile that came to Kral’s face as he saw all of those enemy fighters be destroyed with minimal casualties on his people’s side, the situation was still desperate, as Daala was slowly closing in like a saber-cat cornering its prey.

_Meanwhile, In the City of Kyrimorut, in the Command Center_

Former Galactic Alliance Commodore Turk Brand, Admiral Firmus Nantz, and General Etahn A’baht were too busy issuing orders to the fleet and army, respectively, that was guarding Kyrimorut to notice the shaking in the background of the command center, but the rest of the Grey Cadre looked on with concern as the sound of blasterfire grew closer to the command center.

It was at that moment that a Mandalorian in red armor came bursting into the room. Every member of the Grey Cadre recognized the Mandalorian as the man who was in charge of the defense of Kyrimorut, Commander Canderous Kryze. He quickly said, “All right, we’re out of time! The Neo Death Watch and their allies will be her in thirty minutes, tops, and we need to be out of here in ten if we’re going to make it to the _Megador_ safely!”

“No, Commander, we need to stay here in order to better coordinate the defense of Mandalore.” Admiral Kir Vantai grimly said.

“Didn’t you hear me when I spoke? Neo Death Watch is coming, and they’ll probably gut all of you in order to send a message to the rest of us if we don’t give up!” Canderous said.

“Then move us to a mobile camp outside of the city, and set the charges that were placed around the Command Tower to detonate in thirty minutes.” Releqy A’Kla said in a calm manner.

Realizing that he would not get any headway with these seven leaders, and realizing that moving them outside the city would be the next best thing that would come from this debate, Canderous acquiesced, reluctantly saying, “Fine. Let’s destroy the tower in order to deny its capabilities to Daala’s forces before we go.” As he spoke, he had a demolitions team move in to activate the twenty thermal imploders that had been placed in the command tower that were rigged to detonate within one hundred meters of the place of detonation in order to make sure that Daala’s men couldn’t get any data out of the computers.

“Agreed.” Admiral Nantz said as he packed up his set of datapads containing the strategies and tactics of him and his contemporaries. “Well, aren’t you going to lead us to our shuttle?” The admiral calmly asked the Mandalorian commander.

Seeing that his demolition teams had put their thermal imploders into position, and had rigged them to explode in the next twenty-five, instead of thrity minutes, as at the rate that Neo Death Watch was moving, they would arrive within twenty minutes at the minimum, Canderous grudgingly growled out, “Fine.” He then whispered to one of his subordinates through a private channel in their helmets, “ _Man, you help save these people from hibernation sickness, and they turn into huge divas and needy children._ ” The Mandalorain, Sabine Ordo, only nodded in agreement, not wanting to risk being caught by the Grey Cadre in having a private conversation with her commander and secret husband about insulting said cadre.

_Twenty-one Minutes Later_

Crimson Nova bounty hunter Cad Bane, a green Duros who was named after the infamous, or legendary, depending on the person’s preference, bounty and Jedi hunter who rivaled Boba and Jango Fett in infamy, operated from the last years of the Old Republic to the middle years into the First Galactic Empire, led a two hundred-man team, including three of the ten surviving GenoHadaren assassins and five of the fifteen Crimson Nova Guild bounty hunters that still lived, a significant majority of the remainder of Daala’s elite Jedi hunters, which signified the investment that Admiral Daala had put into capturing the Shadow Alliance’s Command Tower and transmitting all of the data that the tower’s computers contained to the Chimaera, where Daala’s data analysists would examine the data in order to discover anything that could accelerate their inevitable victory, from clearance codes to fleet formations, and troop deployments.

The bounty hunter cautiously led fifty of his men into the turbolifts that led their way to the top of the tower, where all of the consoles were located, after encountering fierce resistance in the form of hidden turrets, security droids, and the occasional soldier of diverse species and organizations that they came across, while the remainder of his men would stay below and guard the tower. After two minutes of idle conversation in the turbolift, the fifty-one-man team exited the turbolifts and slowly scanned the area for any hidden traps or enemy soldiers that may be in the command center. Hearing only a slight beeping noise, he motioned with his hand for his men to advance, and the slicers among the men to start working on the computers and consoles.

 _Well, I just might get a big, fat, bonus for this successful job._ Cad smugly thought as he sat in a chair in the briefing room. It was then that that beeping noise began to accelerate, and it sounded eerily familiar to the bounty hunter. He noticed that one of the panels in the floor were loose, and when he pulled it up to see what was underneath, he was dumbfounded, a thermal imploder that, according to the markings and settings, was set to detonate within a radius of one hundred meters, and it was set to go off within the next ninety seconds. About to alert his men to this development as he sprinted to the turbolift, he received calls from every member of his team that nineteen additional thermal imploders were located throughout the command center. _Oh, slag! How could I have fallen for such a classic strategy? The original Cad Bane would be disgusted with me right now._ Cad mentally beat himself up as he and his men rushed to the turbolifts, each trying to run down the person next to them in order to make it to the nearest turbolift, and their rush caused the soldiers to jam the way into the turbolift, which meant that no one would even have a chance of getting out of the command tower in time. The last thing that Cad saw was a blinding white light, and then an infinite wave of darkness hit him.

 _Onboard the_ Chimaera

“Admiral, we’ve lost contact with Company Xesh!” The comms-officer loudly said to Daala, who brusquely walked over to said officer with an irate glare on her face.

“What in the blazes happened at Kyrimorut?” Daala growled out.

After reading the message that was written on the monitor in front of the comms-officer, the officer said, “According to the commander of Company Trill, the command tower in Kyrimorut exploded soon after Company Xesh entered the tower. All hands were killed, including Commander Cad Bane.”

Daala mentally cursed at herself for falling for the classic Hammer and Anvil Tactic in the same way that the Shadow Alliance fell for her use of the tactic. It was a mistake that Daala could not afford to make again, as the next mistake could cost her more than the usage of a company of two hundred men and a majority of her Jedi hunters, which included a bumbling bounty hunter that was probably rotting in whatever underworld that existed for his failure.

After taking a moment to calm her mind, which was becoming more and more difficult, given the struggles that the men and women under her command had in overcoming the Shadow Alliance’s armies and fleets, which was proving far more difficult than anticipated, as for every Shadow Alliance trooper that was killed, about three of Daala’s soldiers was slain in return. So far, in only two hours since the ground invasion began, four thousand of her troops were killed, and only fifteen hundred of her enemies’ troops were butchered, at least, according to the updates that her ground commanders, Belok Rhal and Black Krrsantan, were providing her with every thirty minutes.

Speaking of which, it was time for her to receive her fifth update. The reached into her personal holocomm, activated it, and the images of her supreme commander and elite Jedi hunter came up. She then said, “This is Admiral Daala, calling in for my half-hour update. Status report. Over.”

After the sound of blasterfire died down just enough to hear the two marauders, Belok shouted, “ _I’ve almost driven all of the enemy forces out of the spaceport at Kyrimorut, and Krrsantan is making progress at Keldabe’s spaceport. From there, we’ll begin landing more troops into the two cities in order to flush out any opposition._ ”

“Excellent. And what about Sundari?” Daala asked, pleased that at least some of her subordiantes were competent enough to complete their missions.

“ _That city isn’t going down without a fight, Admiral. There’s a lot of turbolaser turrets, starfighters, troops, and volunteers that are taking up arms against our forces. I’m not sure that we can breach the city’s defences with what we have._ ” Belok said as he shot an injured Mon Calamari Void Jumper in the head with his blaster.

“I’ll have the _Ardus Kaine_ and the rest of Vansyn’s fleet dispatch reinforcements to Sundari once they’re finished with repairs.” Daala said, earning a grateful nod from Belok.

“ _Good. The_ manda _knows that we need to bring this battle to a close quickly if we’re going to preserve our strength for the campaign against of those blasted Force-lovers of the galaxy._ ” Belok said, relieved that Daala was taking this matter seriously.

It was then that Black Krrsantan roared in approval as he prepared to face a pair of Imperial Knights, one Kel Dor and Klatooinan, as was apparent by the royal armor and similar lightsaber designs, and a squad of Stormtrooper commanders. Daala smiled and chuckled in approval at one of her commander’s bloodlust and eagerness to kill Force-sensitives, which might have rivaled her own, as the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had scarred Krrsantan and driven him off of Tatooine, and Jabba Desilijic Tiure’s employ, for about ten years, earning his undying hatred of all Force users, which placed him within Daala’s inner circle, and gave him the knowledge of what Daala had planned for all users of the Force.

“Good. Keep me posted. And, Krrsantan, try not to destroy everything in your path. We need the infrastructure intact in order to provide war material for our inevitable conquest.” Daala wryly said.

In response to Daala’s words, Black Krrsantan said as he approached his enemies, “[ _I’ll do my best, but no promises! I need to go all-out in order to kill these blasted Knights._ ]”

“Just do your best, Commander.” Daala said as she closed the channel on her holocomm in order to turn her attention back to the overall campaign, seeing one of her _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers and two Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers be destroyed by Mandalorian, Galactic Alliance, Imperial, and Hapan fighters, while one of her _Imperial-II_ Star Destroyers was destroyed by Hutt and Black Sun forces. Conversely, one of the MC90 Capital Ship cruisers, an _Interdictor_ -class Cruiser, one _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer, and two _Keldabe_ -class Cruisers on the Shadow Alliance’s side were destroyed as well. Despite the losses that the Shadow Alliance had sustained, they were still putting up a great fight, which Daala respected in her enemies, even if they followed a cursed Jedi.

 _Meanwhile, on the_ Ardus Kaine

After entering the _Ardus Kaine_ , Wraith Squadron split up into three teams, and after two hours of sneaking around and carefully assassinating key leaders of the _Imperial-I_ Star Destroyer, the twelve-man squadron arrived at the bridge of the Ardis Kaine, where former Moff Vansyn, the last major Imperial officer who was loyal to Natasi Daala, was located, as the bridge was where the ship’s main computer said the Moff was located. As Voort made several hand gestures to tell his squad what strategy they would use, the twenty surviving Mandalorians that were under Akku Sei II’s command prepared to disable the blast doors that were blocking the way to the Star Destroyer’s bridge.

One minute later, the blast doors were shut down, and slid open to reveal a shocked Porrack Vansyn, the bridge’s crew, and a squad of Storm Commandos on the bridge. Both sides quickly opened fire, with the exception of Moff Vansyn, who cowardly ducked into one of the sections where the technicians worked, disgusting everyone on both sides, as even the renegade Imperial technicians were fighting in this small but crucial battle. Shortly after the battle began, all but five technicians, who were inexperienced in battle, were killed, and four Storm Commandos were burned alive by the battle-hardened Mandalorians, who had lost an additional four members in the battle.

As the Shadow Alliance’s forces separated and began to close in on Vansyn’s soldiers and operators, every enemy fighter ditched their blasters, as they had proven to be minimally effective against the intruders, and switched to vibro-shivs, and charged at their surprised enemies. Briefly surprised by the change in tactics, two more Mandalorians were slowly killed by slashes at vital arteries, while Viull and Huhunna were grazed by their opponents before using their brutish strength to snap the necks of the two Storm Commandos that threatened them, and Akku nimbly dodged the clumsy strikes from two additional Storm Commandos that threatened to kill Turman Darra and Drikall Bessarah, earning grateful nods form the two of them. Within five minutes, which appeared to turn into an hour which showed just how intense the fighting had become, the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s forces slowly but surely managed to take down their enemies with their superior use of hand-to-hand combat, and the occasional use of Teräs Käsi, to kill their opponents, or incapacitate them, in the case of the technicians, as Wraith Squadron and the remainder of Akku’s company still had a use for the technicians, as well as the Moff, who two Mandalorians had manged to pull out from the .

“Wh-what are you going to do with us?” A brown-skinned woman asked, who was speaking for the surviving specialists.

“Well, Lieutenant, You’re going to do a special job for us. First, you’re going to issue an order to abandon the ship due to an engine malfunction that will destroy the ship. Then, with the engines that your engineers have no doubt repaired by now, you will ram this ship into the adjacent Interdictor Cruiser, the _Omen_ , causing a chain reaction that destroys both ships. While the ship rams into the Cruiser, you will come with us to our ship, where you will come with us to our ships, where you will be taking to the _Megador_ in order to be taken into custody for a trial after we defeat Daala.” Voort smugly explained with his trademark digital voice.

“And you’ll let us live?” One pale-skinned male officer asked, shocked at what he was hearing.

“Well, that depends on the trial, but, odds are that you’ll either be put into prison, or you’ll help us defeat the Sith. Oh, and one more thing.” Akku said as he whipped out his blaster pistol and quickly shot Moff Vansyn three times, two of them in the chest, and one time in the head, causing the female officer to scream in horror at what she witnessed. “Sorry that you had to see that, but we had our orders to kill the traitorous Moff, Porrack Vansyn. Anyway,” Akku cheerfully before he motioned with his blaster for the officers to get to work with their new job. “shouldn’t the five of get to work with carrying out your new orders?”

Once the five officers got over their shock, they quickly moved to the still-functioning consoles and intercoms, and the female officer said, “Attention, all hands, this is Lieutenant Zudd Vau. The _Ardus Kaine_ ’s engines will explode within the next thirty minutes, and Moff Vansyn and the command crew of this ship have been slain by the intruders. All hands, abandon ship! I repeat, abandon ship!” Shutting off the intercom in order to avoid any panic or questions by the remaining officers on the ship, Zudd breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to her captors, who looked on with approving looks on their faces.

“Nice work, Zudd. Maybe, after this is over, we can grab a cup of caf… well, after the battle, of course.” Trey Courser said in a flirty tone, disgusting Zudd, who simply scoffed at his lack of seriousness of the situation, causing everyone, even Zudd’s fellow officers, to bellow in laughter.

Once the laughter died down, the pale officer, with the slicer of Wraith Squadron, Thaymes Fodrick, over his shoulder, said, “All right, I’ve set the ship on a course to ram into the _Omen_ , and we’ve got escape pods leaving the ship in droves. Now, can we leave this deathtrap before we all die?”

“Thaymes, did he do as said?” Akku asked the slicer.

“Indeed, he did, Akku. The ship is on a trajectory so it will collide with the interdictor in thirty minutes.” Thaymes truthfully said.

“Good. Now, let’s double-time it, people! We’ve got half an hour before this ship is dead.” Voort said to everyone, and the thirty people bolted for the four ships in the hangar that the surviving invaders came in. They made it to their ships in the main hangar with ten minutes to spare, as they only had to kill the two squads of Stormtroopers and their commanding officers that guarded the ships as they tried to pry their way inside.

 _Ten Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Chimaera

Daala could not believe what was occurring. Moff Porrack Vansyn, one of the few people that she reserved a healthy measure of trust for, was killed, and whoever was commanding the _Ardus Kaine_ was plowing Vansyn’s flagship into his last remaining Interdictor Cruiser while the crew abandoned ship based on a phony alert about massive engine failure, thereby allowing the Shadow Alliance a window of escape if the battle proved unwinnable. She smelled the Shadow Alliance’s hand in this, but the intruders had disappeared thirty minutes ago from the _Ardus Kaine_ ’s crew’s sight, and no one left on the ship was able to stop the ship’s collision course. It was with a pained look in her eyes that she turned her head away from the explosion that consumed the _Ardus Kaine_ and _Omen_ , depriving Daala of two of her most vital ships for her invasion, as with Moff Vansyn dead, the Imperial portion of her fleet would fall into chaos, and Daala might be forced to destroy the small fleet, depriving her of a vital asset.

 _Yet another problem that the cursed Jedi and their allies will be held accountable for once we win this blasted civil war._ Daala grimly thought as she prepared to open fire on the deserting _Imperial I_ -class Star Destroyer, the _Empire’s Glory_ , and _Lancer_ -class Frigate, the _Rebels’ Scourge_. Thirty seconds later, the _Chimaera_ and three additional _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers that covered the Chimaera’s flank opened fire on the two ships, destroying the _Empire’s Glory_ and _Rebels’ Scourge_ within three minutes.

 _Onboard the_ Second Chance

“Well, it’s official, Daala’s losing it.” Edaan said as he saw the _Chimaera_ open fire on two of Moff Vansyn’s ships that were fleeing the battle.

“You said that like it’s no surprise, luv.” Adari said as she pulled a 180-degree turn in order to lose a pair of K-Wings that were quickly blasted apart by the light turbolasers of the Second Chance that were being manned by Robonino and Vua Rapuung.

“I know, I just-” Edaan was quickly cut off when he heard the ship’s holocomm activate, revealing the forms of Nek Bwua’tu, Boba Fett, and Corran Horn on the bridge of the _Megador_. “Is there something that I can do for the three of you, as we’re in the middle of a massive defense of Mandalore at this time?”

“ _Yes, Edaan. You can come onto the_ Megador _. We have a plan to end this conflict, but we need to speak with you in person, as it’s too vital to speak to you through the comms._ ” Bwua’tu honestly said.

After hesitating for a moment, Edaan looked at Adari, who nodded in unspoken agreement, and he then said, “All right, I’ll head for the _Megador_ at once. Let’s hope that your plan works out, or we’ll all be in deep _poodoo_.” With that, he closed the holonet channel, and he and his wife turned the ship around to head for the Super Star Destroyer.

“ _Hey, boss. Why are we turning around? I was just about to beat Vua in how many enemy ships we can take out._ ” Robonino practically whined.

“ _In your dreams, my friend._ ” Vua rebutted as his turret shook as he shot at another target.

“All right, that’s enough, guys. We need to get to the _Megador_ to speak with Supreme Commander Bwua’tu and the others.” Edaan gently chided the two warriors as another voice came over the intercom.

“ _Good. Maybe we can get a decent crew of repairmen on our ship, as our systems are beginning to fail under the stress of combat._ ” Atai gratefully said, with Artoo saying “ _Affirmative_.” within range of the intercom.

“Let’s hope so.” Edaan thought as he approached the last functioning Super Star Destroyer in existence.

**And, that ends another action-packed chapter. Now that that’s out of the way, I have something to tell all of you. I pre-ordered the novel that is coming out in April about the Canon introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn, but I canceled the order, as I feel that it will conflict with the Expanded Universe too much for me to integrate it into my head canon. Anyway, I am currently watching _The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey_ on TNT, and it is just as good as I remember it. By the way, it’s hard to believe that the _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ comic is almost over. With just five issues left to be released before the series concludes, I am so eager to see what comes next in the series, as well as the series that follows with the release of Injustice 2. Oh, I almost forgot, was recently contacted by a person who goes by the username of “Artu Alderaan”, and he and some of his friends are trying to continue the Expanded Universe in their own way. I encourage you all to read what they’ve read, as it shows significant potential. And, the story, _Outcast Effect_ , which was written by The Incredible Muffin, has concluded yesterday, and it was an amazing crossover between Mass Effect and Star Wars, probably the best that I’ve ever read. Well, with all of that out of the way, tell me what you thought of this chapter, as I need some constructive criticism. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	16. Chapter 15

**_Koh-To-Ya_ ** **, everyone. That’s Kel Dorian for “Hello”, by the way, in case any of you were wondering. It was introduced by Jedi Council Member Plo Koon in the second episode of _The Clone Wars_ , “Rising Malevolence,” back when Star Wars was still good and pure in my eyes, as I had just gotten in to Star Wars a year previously, and I had no idea about all of the intricacies of the Star Wars canon. So, how are you doing on this weekend? I am fine, as my brother has returned from college to visit for the weekend, and the rest of my family is out doing their own thing, leaving me at home to relax and work on my stories in peace. Anyway, I recently finished the book on Ulysses S. Grant, and have started a book on the history of Jerusalem, and so far, I am really enjoying it. After that, I’ll read a book titled _The World of Star Wars_ that I found a few months ago, but I never got around to reading it due to all of my other books, and then a book that I will not name for fear of getting heckled and ridiculed. Don’t worry, it isn’t an immoral book, in case you were wondering, just a book that has elements in it that I haven’t read about in two years. Anyway, onto answering a few questions that you guys might have. First off, the Crimson Nova bounty hunter Cad Bane was a reference and shout out to the original Cad Bane that appeared in _The Clone Wars_ , even though the Cad Bane that I created was, to put it lightly, a bumbling fool that got many of Daala’s troops and Jedi hunters killed because he made a rookie mistake. Second, I plan to have the Jedi reinforcements arrive in the Mandalore System within four more hours in _Star Wars_ time, but until then, the heroes will have to hold their own, as, despite the losses that Daala has suffered in the form of Moff Porrack Vansyn and three of his capital ships, she still holds a slight edge over the Shadow Alliance’s forces. Third, I plan to have Black Krrsantan (and possible Aurra Sing, I haven’t decided yet.) survive this battle, and help the Sith when the Shadow Alliance invades Korriban. Fourth, in my fifth and sixth stories, I might raise the rating to “M”, due to the torture and trials that my main character will go through in his quest, as well as some suggestive material. Just a warning for any younger people that read my stories. Oops (not really.), I just gave away some vital information about my future works. Oh, well, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. By the way, to all those that have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my stories, thank you so much for reading and liking my works, as it means a lot to me that you would read my mediocre pieces of literature for your enjoyment. Now, if only the people in charge of LucasBooks would read my stories and publish them in the form of actual novels. That would make my life to have that happen to me. Tragically, it will probably never happen, as I already tried to email my ideas for Jennifer Heddle to read and take to her superiors, but Lucasfilm’s blasted policy of not accepting unsolicited material prevented my ideas from reaching her. It really made me angry that they could, or would, as I don’t know for sure, not even look at my ideas, as I spent years cultivating this idea into its present iteration. Anyway, what do you say that we get on with this story, as I’m sure that all of you (Minus Powerslammer, as he gave me this idea, in case you were wondering, as well as convinced me to write this story, so you can thank him for this masterpiece of an idea.) are wondering what Bwua’tu, Boba Fett, and Corran Horn’s plan is to take down Natasi Daala and her Neo Death Watch, corrupt senators, corporations, and slaver allies. But, before we begin, let me just say that I wish that Gilad Pellaeon was still around, because I am sure that he would be disgusted with just how far Daala had fallen in her madness. One last, thing, I just joined Facebook, and have sent friend requests to some of my friends and family. It’s very exciting. Now, on with the story!**

_Ten Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance _, Inside the_ Megador

Edaan Palpatine was on edge, just like everyone else in the Super Star Destroyer was. It was expected, however, considering that the entire Mandalore System was a kill zone. As he exited the Corellian YT-1300 Light Freighter, a repair team that he contacted while approaching said ship quickly went inside the ship in order to repair any systems that suffered damage from the ongoing space battle outside, such as the engines, the light turbolasers, hyperdrive, and sensors, just to name a handful of systems. It reminded him of many legendary ships that suffered from systems failure, such as Jedi Knight Revan’s _Ebon Hawk_ , Han Solo’s _Millennium Falcon_ , Dash Rendar’s _Outrider_ , and the Lothal Rebels’ ship, the _Ghost_.

He and his crew quickly made their way to the bridge of the _Megador_ , where upon entering the bridge, the six crew members of the _Second Chance_ saw Nek Bwua’tu, Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, Jaing Skirata, Ghes Orade, Sintas Vel, Corran Horn, Barratk’l, Jaina Solo Fel, Armand Vorn, and Goran Beviin were standing in physical form, while Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti, Voort “Piggy” sa Binring, Akku Sei II, Traest Kre’frey, Trista Zel, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Gavin Darklighter, and Jarael Chantique, and the members of the Grey Cadre were attending the impromptu meeting in holographic form.

“Supreme Commander Bwua’tu, everyone, this is a surprise. Not to rush things along, but we have a battle to win, so we’d better get this meeting done quickly.” Edaan nervously said, worried about the soldiers and pilots that he could sense dying in the system while the leaders of the Shadow Alliance met for whatever reason Bwua’tu had called this war council to order.

Bwua’tu nodded in understanding, as he too was gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation for the Shadow Alliance. “Agreed, Knight Palpatine. Now that you’re here, we can begin the meeting. The reason that I’ve contacted you is because… well, to put it bluntly, we are losing this war. Admiral Daala has our fleet and armies outnumbered, and despite the heavy losses that we’ve inflicted on her fleets and armies, she and her top commanders just absorb them all with little to no hesitation, which means that this battle is quickly becoming a war of attrition, and we are losing the war by a slim majority.” Bwua’tu explained.

“Each of our fleets have suffered significant losses, and at the rate that things are going, we won’t last until the Jedi reinforcements arrive.” Jaina solemnly said as the hologram of the Grand Moff nodded in confirmation.

“To make matters worse, our armies are slowly being pushed out of Keldabe and Kyrimorut. Sundari is putting up a powerful and stubborn resistance, but there’s no telling how long it will last.” Goran said, adding to the tension on the Super Star Destroyer’s bridge.

“Well, clearly our tactics aren’t working against Daala, so we to change gears and come up with a new strategy _now_ , before we’re all killed or enslaved by a maniacal despot.” Edaan worriedly said before an idea hit him. “ _That’s it!_ ” he whispered.

“ _What’s it, Jedi Palpatine?_ ” Trista Zel, the Hapan member of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, asked.

“We’ve been trying to fight this war on Daala’s terms, and that’s why we’ve been losing. And if you can’t win, you just have to change the playing field.” Edaan explained, confusing everyone.

“ _And… what does that mean, Edaan?_ ” Azzim anxiously asked, hoping that his longtime friend had a reason for speaking in riddles.

“It means, we shouldn’t fight Daala with hers and Wilhuff Tarkin’s own tactics, we should be fighting her like the Rebel Alliance did against the Galactic Empire, and how the Galactic Alliance fought the Yuuzhan Vong Empire: with guerilla warfare! If we pull our armies out of Keldabe and Kyrimorut and have them use hit-and-run tactics, we can buy our ground forces at least a few more hours. And, if we order our fleets to attack Daala’s armada, we might be able to catch her off guard, and inflict massive casualties on her forces.” As each of the commanders mulled over the ideas, Edaan turned to Bwua’tu and asked, “Will that plan work, Supreme Commander?”

“Actually, Jedi Palpatine, your ideas align perfectly with my plan, so you saved me some time.” Bwua’tu gratefully said, before continuing, saying, “Expanding on what Jedi Palpatine just said, I have come up with a risky plan that, if it succeeds, may assure us victory before the Jedi and Chiss get here, or at least cripple Daala’s armada.”

“Well, Bwua’tu, don’t keep us in suspense, tell us your plan.” Goran impatiently said, eager to get back into the thick of the battle.

“With pleasure, Goran.” With those words said, he motioned for the officer that kept an eye on the tactical screen to pull up an image of Daala’s full fleet, which included her flagship, the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer, the _Chimaera_. “While our fleet attacks Daala’s fleet, a team of elite commandos will infiltrate the _Chimaera_ , capture Natasi Daala, and cause the ship to self-destruct, demoralizing Daala’s fleet, and possibly ending the space portion of the battle with no more bloodshed. Of course, Belok Rhal, Nash Windrider, Roly Melusar, and the remainder of Daala’s Jedi hunters and bounty hunters won’t surrender, but we can deal with them after Daala’s taken out of the mix.”

“Make sure to tell your commandos to take Daala alive, as we need her to tell us where the Dragon Lord and his Sith order is hiding. In the meantime, I’m going to go down to Kyrimorut to rally our troops and tell them of this change in strategy.” Goran reminded Bwua’tu, who nodded at the reminder.

“That won’t work.” Boba suddenly said, causing everyone to look at him like he had lost his mind.

“I beg your pardon, Fett?” Jaina said.

“I mean, a team of commandos won’t get far into the _Chimaera_ , as Daala’s elite troops guard the ship, and their efficiency and diversity rivals that of the Empire’s Five-Hundred-and-First Legion, and the Galactic Alliance’s Void Jumpers put together. We need something more effective than just commandos if this plan is going to work.” Boba explained.

“Then how about a small army of Jedi, Imperial Knights, Wraith Squadron, Mandalorians, and commandos, all packed within a few ships that can either go in guns blazing in the form of you Force users and us Mandos, or quietly, in the case of the members of Wraith Squadron?” Mirta suggested, making everyone’s eyes immediately turn to Mirta in disbelief, or amazement, in the case of Edaan and Bwua’tu.

“That… That could actually work, Commander Gev.” Bwua’tu said in astonishment as he actually looked to be considering Mirta’s suggestion. “But who would comprise this team, as we don’t have much time to organize a team of infiltrators?”

“My team, minus, Jarael, obviously, could help comprise the first team. I’ve studied the layout of _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers for a situation just like this, and I can guide the teams to the bridge.” Edaan helpfully said.

“And I’ve been on the _Chimaera_ plenty of times to alert the small army of any traps or defenses that Daala placed for intruders.” Mirta added as she stepped up to join Edaan’s crew.

“Then count me in, as well. I’ve been itching to the bone for some action ever since this battle began, and this sounds like my kind of suicidal mission.” Jaina declared, shocking everyone, especially Grand Moff Sarreti, who began shouting his vehemence to the idea, citing Jaina’s need to stay safe in order to keep the morale of the men under their command. The empress of the Fel Empire replied by saying, “Ephin, if I don’t do this mission, then our chances of winning this war are severely crippled, as the team may need my help. And, it would help to show our men that their empress is willing to join her followers into the thick of battle.” This silenced Ephin, who could not come up with a proper rebuttal.

“I’m coming as well. Daala has to answer for what she’s done to harm my people, and the _Mand’alor_ should be there when the Siege of Mandalore and Second Mandalorian Civil War ends in victory for us.” Boba Fett said, surprising everyone, especially his granddaughter and grandson-in-law by marriage.

“I guess I can’t let you have all the fun, _Ba’buir_.” Mirta humorously said, earning a small smile from the aging Mandalorian.

“ _All right. Is there anyone else who wants to help our strike team take down the Chimaera?_ ” Gavin asked to no one in particular.

In response to the question, Corran Horn raised his hand and said in a tone that would brook no argument, “I’d like to join the infiltration team, as well. I’ve got a personal stake in taking Daala down, too, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer. And, Bhixen and Jaden can join us while Barratk’l and Seha can head down to the surface in order to take out Belok Rhal, thereby throwing Daala’s ground forces into disarray.”

“I’ll be joining your Jedi on the ground, as I’ve got my own score to settle with Belok Rhal.” Goran said in a fierce tone.

“Then I’m staying with Beviin. Someone’s got to make sure that he doesn’t go and get himself killed by Belok or one of his minions.” Sintas Vel said.

“Excellent. Now, Empress Fel, how many Imperial Knights do you still have at your disposal?” Bwua’tu asked, beginning to think that this desperate plan, that he came up with, nonetheless, just might work.

After sighing in sympathy, Jaina said, “Well, counting the two that Black Krrsantan literally ripped to shreds, nine, and three of them are leading Imperial forces on and above Mandalore, so I only have half a dozen Knights to spare. And for the last time, you can just call me Jaina! I’m sick of being treated as a galactic overlord when I’m just a leader.”

“That number will be sufficient, Emp- I mean, Jaina.” Bwua’tu said in an apologetic tone by the end.

“Supreme Commander, I suggest we have Rogue, Blade, Comet squadrons, as well as a squadron of Predators and _Bes'uliiks_ , attack the _Chimaera_ in order to distract Daala while our teams storm the hangar. Oh, and more importantly, we need Daala, Belok Rhal, and Roly Melusar alive.” Edaan recommended to the Bothan.

“Yes. We need them alive in order to answer for their crimes against the galaxy.” Bwua’tu said in agreement, only to feel surprised when Edaan shook his head at the remark.

“Personally, I’d love to kill Daala, Melusar, and Belok for their crimes against the Force itself, but we need them alive in order to tell us where the Dragon Lord and his Sith order is hiding out, as, according to Jaing, Belok has been in contact with the Dragon Lord, so it stands to reason that Daala, and perhaps Melusar, have been in contact with him as well. So we need to keep them alive until we can extract the information out of them. Then you and the governments can have your trial.” Edaan darkly said, surprising everyone with how scary he sounded, but pleasing Boba and the Mandalorians with how ruthless he could be.

“Uh… at least you’re honest and properly motivated, Jedi Palpatine.” Bwua’tu hesitatingly said, shocked with Edaan’s response. “In the meantime, I’ll have a platoon of commandos, Void Jumpers, and Five-Oh-First Troopers assembled for takeoff within the hour. Everyone, this may be our last chance to stop Daala and her mad plans to take over the galaxy, so let’s make this a battle that future generations will sing songs about. May the Force be with us all!” As everyone cheered, roared, or, in the case of the Mandalorians, shouted “ _Oya_!” Bwua’tu, Admirals Kre’frey and Darklighter, Trista Zel, Corran Horn, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Grand Moff Sarreti, Goran Beviin, and the members of the Grey Cadre began to issue orders to their forces. The effect was nearly instantaneous, as the fleets of the Shadow Alliance began to form up around the _Megador_ for their soon-to-begin point-blank assault on Daala’s fleet.

_Meanwhile, on the Surface of Mandalore, In the city of Keldabe_

Black Krrsantan was having the time of his life, as he had just finished killing a pair of the cursed Fel Empire’s empress’s, Jaina Solo Fel, Imperial Knights by ripping them in two. He had not had so much fun since he had assisted Darth Vader about a year after the Battle of Yavin in his campaign against the rogue Imperial scientist Cylo and his cybernetic army as Cylo tried to usurp Vader’s place in Emperor Palpatine’s hierarchy, and that job paid so well for him and the rest of the bounty hunters that helped him with Vader’s missions.

As he, his three-man team of GenoHadaren assassins, and duo of Ithorian bounty hunters from the Crimson Nova Bounty Hunters’ guild, cleared out the _Oyu’baat_ of enemy forces. A sniper shot managed to hit one of the Ithorian bounty hunters straight in the head, and fell to his knees before falling on his side.

“Brother!” The sole remaining Ithorian shouted as he ran to his brother’s side in order to check his vitals. Black Krrsantan, on the other hand, quickly scanned the area for any enemy snipers, and quickly saw a shadow move into of one of the buildings to his right, and quickly moved into the building to hunt down and avenge this loss to his squad. Scanning the area while sniffing and listening intently for any signs of intrusiton, he quickly found a Quarren marine, who had a sniper rifle hanging on his back, hiding in the living room of the abandoned building.

Growling vicously, Black Krrsantan said, [You killed one of my comrades. For that, I will gut you with my claws!]

“I don’t think so, scum!” the Quarren stubbornly said as he activated a thermal detonator loped to his side. Eyes widening at the gesture, Black Krrsantan ran out of the room just as said thermal detonator went off, blowing the Quarren into little pieces, and the force of the blast blew the Wookiee into the air and onto the ground on his back, nearly popping a vertebrae out of place, making him howl in pain, which then caused every surviving member of his squad to come to him.

One GenoHadaren assassin quickly pulled out a medpac in order to apply some bacta to a bleeding wound on his back, but Black Krrsantan pushed the bacta salve away from him because he wanted to feel this pain in order to remain a strong warrior, and not a weakling like all but a few of his Wookiee brothers and sisters were, and take out his rage and anger on his enemies by all of them, especially more Force-sensitves, apart with his claws. And, as he found the strength to get up again, he saw a platoon of stomtroopers that were from the Five-Hundred-and-First Legion run up to them, the commanding officer shouted to the bounty hunters and assassins, “ALL RIGHT! HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM! YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!”

Black Krrsantan and the rest of the bounty hunters and assassins only bellowed and laughed in response to this ridiculous order, forcing all of the Stormtroopers to ready their weapons in order to fire them at their enemies. The remaining Ithorian bounty hunter then opened fire with his two heavy blasters, killing three Stormtroopers and their superior officer before they could fire back with pinpoint efficiency, killing the Ithorian, and from there, the battle quickly descended into a bloodbath, with one GenoHadaren assassin dead, and the rest of the Stormtroopers were put into a bloody pile, where another GenoHadaren assassin activated her flamethrower and burned all of the corpses, creating a huge bonfire that could be seen for miles in all directions.

With that minor scuffle out of the way, Black Krrsantan and his two surviving squadmates called for reinforcements, and, soon enough, two squads of Mandalorians arrived to bolster the three master hunters. With this influx of aid, the twenty-seven soldiers of fortune moved on to the next area of engagement, ready to butcher anyone who got in their way.

 _Forty-Five Minutes Later, Back on the_ Megador _, in the_ Second Chance

Atai Molec was relieved as he ran a systems check on all of the _Second Chance_ ’s systems, and everything checked out green. He was especially happy that the ship’s droids rearmed the ship’s supply of proton torpedoes and concussion missles, and gave the _Second Chance_ ’s light turbolasers a twelve percent increase in power and efficiency without compromising any of the other systems. _This should give Daala a satisfying surprise._ He thought as he finished calibrating the ship’s targeting computer.

“Still in love with the ship, I see?” a strong masculine voice said from behind Atai, surprising the Zygerrian Mechanic/Prime Minister, who jumped up with his blaster in his hand to find the smug face of Edaan in his custom-painted Jedi combat armor.

“Firefek, Edaan, don’t do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack.” Atai scolded the young Jedi, before calming down and asked, “So, is everyone ready for the big battle?”

“Just about. Corran, Jaden and Bhixen are boarding the _Second Chance_ , Mandalore the Protector and his elite team are boarding the _Slave_ I and _Specter_ , along with Wraith Squadron, and Jaina, her Imperial Knights, and the commandos and troops are boarding the _Rude Awakening_. All of our ships are being fueled for the journey, since this could be a one-way trip for many, if not all, of us.” Edaan confirmed to his friend.

“Well, at least if we die, we’ll go out in a blaze of glory.” Atai said while chuckling in amusement. “What about Jarael? Will she be joining us on this mission, or is she still too busy playing nurse to help us on a vital mission?”

“Don’t go demeaning our comrade like that, Atai. She’s playing a vital role, coordinating the medical efforts of the Shadow Alliance and saving hundreds of lives, all while putting herself in danger at Kyrimorut, along with the rest of the Grey Cadre and soldiers!” Edaan scolded his Zygerrian companion.

“Relax, Edaan, I was just joking around. It helps with the stress that a battle gives me.” Atai said in a placating tone.

“Just don’t do it again, and we’ll call it even.” Edaan assured his friend, before continuing, saying, “So, is the ship ready for takeoff?”

“Without a doubt. The _Megador_ ’s mechanics handled the ship well, and everything is functioning at one hundred percent efficiency.” Atai happily said as he got up from the captain’s seat and headed for the main hall, leaving Edaan alone to contemplate the inevitable mission against Daala and her unbalanced minions.

_Meanwhile, Outside the City of Kyrimorut_

Jarael Chantique was sweating like a hairy Wookiee right about now since she was deep in her arms in the blood of injured Shadow Alliance soldiers, as well as very worried, as her shipmates and comrades were going into the Krayt Dragon’s nest without her, as she knew that all of them would need her in order to keep them all in one piece. She had just finshed fixing up a Chev Void Jumper that had a medium-sized piece of shrapnel in their gut, and he would likely be back in the thick of battle within the day. _And just as likely to die a day later._ Jarael thought as she stepped outside of her personal tent for a minute to get a breath of fresh air.

The Iskalloni walked out of her tent to find Firmus Nantz, Releqy A'Kla, Ta’laam Ranth, and Etahn A’baht standing with a grim expression on each of their faces.

“Something I can do for you guys? I have another ten patients to attend to within the next two hours, and I only have a couple minutes to recuperate.” Jarael cautiously said.

“Actually, we could use your help, Doctor Chantique. Commodore Turk Brand and Senators Ponc Gavrisom and Janek the White have been injured while helping the remaining troops and civilians evacuate the city, and there aren’t any other doctors available at the moment, as they’re all too preoccupied helping the less stable patients.”

“What in the blazes were they doing out in the middle of a battlezone?! They aren’t equipped for a battlefield!” Jarael exasperatingly said, hardly believing what she was hearing.

“Senator Janek was leading his clans and bounty hunters in a fighting retreat against the Neo Death Watch forces, and was hit by a stray blaster bolt. Senator Gavrisom was helping the surviving civilians evacuate the remaining facilities and was significantly burned by a Mandalorian’s flamethrower. And Commodore Brand lost his right arm and the rest of his squad of bodyguards when Belok Rhal and his personal squad ambushed them near the destroyed command tower.” Firmus Nantz said in his distinctive grave tone. “We need you to operate on them immediately, or we they could lose their lives.”

Sighing in defeat, as she knew that she could not get out of this critical matter, she said, “Alright. Show me to where they are, and I’ll have one of the assistants come to assist me, and I’ll get to work.”

“Excellent. They’re in the center of the camp. We’ll need to move fast, as Senator Gavrisom needs the most medical attention.” Senator A’Kla gratefully said as she and the other members of the Grey Cadre quickly walked, with Jarael right behind them, to the tent that housed the three wounded officials.

 _Back on the_ Second Chance

“All ships, report in.” Edaan said over the ship’s comms as the Second Chance took off from the _Megador_ ’s main hangar, and Adari and Corran took their respective seats on the ship. .

“ _This is_ Slave I _, ready to finish this._ ” The stoic voice of Boba Fett said over the intercom.

“ _This is the_ Specter _, primed and loaded for action._ ” The Antarian Ranger of Wraith Squadron, Jesmin Tainer, said from the _Specter_ ’s cockpit.

“ _The_ Rude Awakening _is ready to takeoff on your command, Jedi Palpatine._ ” Jaina Solo Fel said from the bridge of the twelve-year-old assault pinnace infiltrator.

“ _The_ Shadow’s Mark _is at your disposal, Edaan Palpatine._ ” Said the captain of the heavily armed and modified Corellian YT-2400 Light Freighter Master Anzati Assassin, Rayder Sei, who just so happpend to be Akku Sei II’s uncle, and commander of the ten Anzati assassins that had already eliminated two _Lancer_ -class Frigates and an _Imperial II_ -Class Star Destroyer in the last two hours, saving many Shadow Alliance lives in the process.

With the one-hundred-man army of Jedi, assassins, Mandalorians, Imperial Knights, Commandos, and saboteurs ready for action, Edaan said, “All ships, launch!”

With those words uttered, all five ships launched from the Megador’s hangar, with the Second Chance taking the lead. Quickly making their way past Shadow Alliance territory, the five freighters were quickly joined by two B-Wing squadrons, an X-Wing Squadron, a squadrom of _Bes'uliiks_ , and a squadron of Predators. The fighters Quickly formed up around the five larger ships, and made a beeline for the Chimaera.

Let’s see Daala try and stop us now! Edaan viciously thought as the Second Chance began to rapidly approach the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer.

**Well, that ends another exciting chapter of Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon. So, as always, tell me what you thought of the chapter in reviews and Personal Messages, as long as the content is constructive. By the way, I just bought the latest _Han Solo_ comic, and it was pretty good. I’d have to give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. And, yesterday, I saw the latest chapter of _Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five_ , and it was beautiful. This is how the DC universe should be: heroes fighting side by side, not killing each other. By the way, I saw _Mechanic: Resurrection_ , and it was an excellent movie. Oh, and are you watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as the Shredder is really scaring me with the beginning of his mutation? Also, I am plowing through the book on Jerusalem, and I should be done within within a few days, just in time for Labor Day. Anyway, the reference to the two Ithorian Bounty Hunters can either be taken from the TV show, _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ , or the _Knights of the Old Republic_ comic book series. Anyway, the battle between Daala and the Shadow Alliance is really heating up. What will happen next is anyone but mine’s guess. I hope that you enjoy, as I am saving the best for last. So, with all of this stuff out of the way, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	17. Chapter 16

**What’s up, Star Wars fans? How are you doing on this Thursday, as I am doing fine right now, but that can change at any time with the weather, as it is looking pretty cloudy right now where I live? First of all, to all those that have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my stories, as well as put them in communities on fanfiction.net, thank you so much, as it means a lot to me that you would take the time to look at my pieces of work. Also, Artu Alderaan, I would love to collaborate with you and your fellow writers in keeping the Expanded Universe alive, as I love it intensely. But, I have got to warn you, I have some difficulty with coming up with ideas, as well as working with others. But, don’t worry, as I am working on improving myself in that regard. Powerslammer, I especially want to thank you for talking me into writing this growing series of stories, as you were the one that convinced me to give writing my stories a shot, and you were right, I enjoy doing it, as well as bringing my vast knowledge of the Star Wars Expanded Universe to bear, very much. Now, if only the people in charge of Lucasfilm were as open to my ideas as you were, then everyone in the world would all be better off (Star Wars-wise, that is, as we’ve got a heap of problems in the world already, but let’s try and leave the real world out of this, shall we?). By the way, I just bought** **The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition Guide: Prima Official Guide online for a steal at barnesandnoble.com, and I am sure that I won’t regret it, as I am considering getting The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition, once the price drops a bit, of course, as right now it is a bit expensive. And, yes, I have read _The Witcher_ series, and, despite how incredibly complex the books were, I enjoyed reading all of the books, as well as playing the second and third video games very much on my Xbox systems. And, I bought some Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels online as well. Unfortunately, I will not be telling you guys what they are, as I do not want to face any ridicule for my choice in literature. Don’t worry, I doubt that they will have elements that will offend my moral senses, if that’s what you were wondering about. Anyway, let’s get started on this story, as I am eager to get back to making up the final battle of the Second Mandalorian Civil War, which includes Edaan and his allies’ assault on the _Chimaera_ , and Goran Beviin, Sintas Vel, ** **Barratk’l, and Seha** **’s hunt for the deranged and murderous Belok Rhal (who kind of reminds me of Victor** **Zsasz, a character in DC Comics series, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and his psychopathic desire to kill people, now that I think about it.), as well as the Jedi StealthX wing on route from Phaeda, as the Jedi are still a couple of hours away from the battle. Oh, and I have a surprise for the end of the battle that I bet that only a few of you will come up with, so just try and guess what my surprise is. One more thing, I’m thinking of including Ezra Bridger in my last two stories in a special way. Tell me what you think, as well as try to guess what my plans are, as I value your input. By the way, did you guys hear that Star Wars: Rebels is getting a fourth season? And here I thought that the people in charge topped out with the future inclusion of Thrawn in the TV show. But, I have to admit, I am worried that I won’t be able to integrate the majority of Star Wars: Rebels into the classic Star Wars Expanded Universe. Oh, and in other news, I’ve begun to play Mass Effect on my Xbox One, I’ve installed The Witcher II: Assassins and Kings onto my Xbox One, and I plan to install Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Both One and Two) after I’m done with Mass Effect. One last thing, for real this time, do all of you guys know what August 27 th of 2014 means for us EU lovers? It was the day when the final EU comic from Dark Horse, Star Wars: Legacy: Volume II #18 was released. Now, what do you say that we get on with the Story, as I’ve probably talked enough for the top author’s note of this chapter?**

_Meanwhile, Onboard the Chimaera_

Lenang O’Pali was exhilarated as he and his crew were taken by Fleet Commander Tors Remal, as well as a squad of Maw Irregular Fleet guards to the stern turbolasers, where the gunners could be seen being hard at work blasting at enemy capital ships that came too close to the _Chimaera_.

“So, as you and your viewers can see, our crews are highly disciplined, and can rival any ship’s crew in the galaxy, a testament to Admiral Natasi Daala’s code of honor.” Tors Remal proudly said as he guided the reporter and his entourage of assistants and technicians through the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer. “We are all honored to see that we are getting some recognition for our efforts to free the galaxy from the Force’s tyranny.”

“I can wholeheartedly agree with you, Fleet Commander Remal. The Force has brought us nothing but trouble for millennia, and it’s about time that someone took it out of the picture. So, when can we get an exclusive with Admiral Daala, sir?”

“I’m afraid that you won’t be able to speak with her until the battle is won, Lenang, as the Admiral needs to keep focused on the battle going on outside this ship. I hope that you and your viewers can understand.” Tors reluctantly said, earning a nod of understanding from the reporter, who appreciated military protocol that few people appreciated.

“Don’t worry, once the battle is over, the viewers will be more than happy to wait for their exclusive.” Lenang said in a considerate tone, just as a series of alarms went off all across the ship, causing Lenang and Tors to drop any friendly conversation and nod in mutual understanding.

As Tors and five members of his security went back to the bridge in order to help Admiral Daala command the fleet, the remainder seven members of his security beckoned to Lenang and his crew to follow them to the mess hall, where they would be kept safe until Admiral Daala could accommodate them for their interview.

 _Let’s see all of those filthy Force-lovers and their minions stand up to progress and superior strategy._ Lenang viciously thought as he and his crew tailed the seven security guards to the mess hall.

 _Meanwhile, Three Kilometers Outside of the_ Chimaera, _Onboard the_ Second Chance

“All ships, prepare for battle! Daala’s really pulling out all the stops in order to kill us!” Edaan shouted into the ship’s comms as she _Second Chance_ shook from glancing blasts from the TIE Fighters of various designs, X-Wings, Z-95 Headhunters, CloakShape fighters, B-Wings, and various Mandalorian fighters that guarded the Imperial Star Destroyer, as well as eight of the ship’s turbolaser batteries that switched from attacking nearby Mon Calamari Cruisers to the four freighters that were closing in on the _Chimaera_.

“ _Don’t worry, Edaan! We’ll clear a path for you guys. Just get the job done quickly, and we’ll call it even._ ” Syal Antilles, the leader of the famed Rogue Squadron, said as the other four squadron leaders readied their squadrons for their diversionary attack on the _Chimaera_.

“May the Force be with you guys, and… Wait.” Edaan said before he trailed off, sensing a massive burst of hatred come from one of the TIE Defenders that guarded the _Chimaera_.

“What’s wrong, Edaan?” Adari asked her husband in concern as he began to tense up in worry.

“Rogue Leader, be advised, I believe that Nash Windrider and his personal TIE Defender squadron are guarding the _Chimeara_ , so stay on high alert!” Edaan worriedly said into the intercom.

“ _Roger that, Edaan. We’ll be on our guard. And, don’t worry about us, because we have a trick or two up our sleeves as well. Now, get going!_ ” Syal practically barked out at the end like a drill sergeant at the Imperial Military Academy, cutting the connection to the channel, leaving the _Second Chance_ , _Specter_ , _Rude Awakening_ , and _Slave I_ as the only ships still in contact.

“All right, everyone. Form up, and, last but not least, May the Force be with us!” With those famous last words, Edaan closed the link, leaving each ship to their thoughts and respective parts of the plan to capture Natasi Daala and her so-called ‘Special Force Advisor’, Roly Melusar, as well as either disable or destroy the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer that was serving as the flagship for the massive Maw Irregular Fleet. As each of the four ships began a head-on charge on the _Chimaera_ ’s hangar bay, a squadron of X-Wings, B-Wings, and _Bes'uliiks_ flew to intercept them before they could reach the hangar. But, as good as the pilots of Daala’s navy were, they were no match for the Force-heightened senses of several Jedi and Imperial Knights manning the turrets of their respective ships, the _Second Chance_ and _Rude Awakening_ , as well as the hard-won experience of the Mandalorians, Anzati assassins, troopers, commandos, and members of Wraith squadron that manned the _Slave_ _I_ and _Specter_ , and resided within the _Rude Awakening_. The four ships blasted their way through the three squadrons, decimating the squadrons and leaving four starfighters left within each squadron, causing the survivors of the assault to retreat to the hangar, which allowed the four ships to destroy the remaining fighters and land in the _Chimaera_ ’s main hangar bay.

Once the _Second Chance_ , _Slave I_ , _Rude Awakening_ , and _Specter_ landed in a two-by-two square in the hangar, everyone disembarked from the ships, and the four Jedi and the six crew members of the _Second Chance_ , the ten Imperial Knights that were led by their empress, Jaina Solo Fel, forty Mandalorians led by Akku Sei II, Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, Jaing Skirata, and Ghes Orade, twenty Void Jumpers, ten Stormtrooper Commanders, ten Anzati assassins led by Rayder Sei, and the twelve members of Wraith Squadron, whose leader, the Gamorrean, Voort sa Binring, was dragging out Armand Vorn, who just so happened to be wearing light Mandalorian armor, two blaster pistols, and the latest blaster rifle from Czerka Corporation, which shocked Edaan, but he had to put his surprise to the back of his mind for the moment, as three squads of Maw Irregular Fleet forces, which included Mandalorians, Stormtroopers, and members of diverse species, quickly took up defensive positions within the hangar.

“Armand?! What in the blazes are you doing here? High Command never agreed to include you in the assault team.” Edaan incredulously shouted into his ear comlink as he and Jaden Korr began to use his lightsaber to blockand redirect blasterfire to the three Stormtroopers that tried to gang up on the two of them.

“ _I need to be there when you take down my mother, Edaan! I have to rectify all of the wrongdoings that she and I have committed over the years!_ ” Armand shouted back as he blasted at a Pantoran that exposed himself to enemy fire, shooting her in the chest and instantly killing the woman.

“Well, I have to give you credit for honor, my friend. You could put most Mandalorians to shame with your code.” Edaan remarked.

“ _All right. Let’s keep this channel clear of chatter and stay focused on the mission._ ” Mirta Gev said in a serious tone that would brook no argument as she broke the arm of one Mandalorian in gold armor, causing him to scream in excruciating pain before she snapped her fellow mercenary’s neck. Within three minutes, the one-hundred-and-eighteen-man army of invaders had cleared out the hangar with no casualties to their side.

“All right. It’s time to split up for phase two of the plan.” Edaan said, before continuing, saying, “My team, which includes my crew, Corran, Jaden, Mirta, and Jaina, will head for the bridge in order to capture Daala and initiate the _Chimaera_ ’s self-destruct system, while the Anzati and Wraith Squadron will assassinate key leaders onboard the ship, throwing it into disarray, as well as capture Roly Melusar for interrogation, the troops and Mandalorians, led by Jaing Skirata, will divide into several teams in order to keep Daala’s forces off-balance, while we leave a portion of our forces here to guard the ships.”

“What about me, Edaan?” Armand said, his voice full of hope at wanitng to take down his deranged mother.

After sighing in defeat, and knowing that Armand’s knowledge of the _Chimaera_ ’s defenses could be the difference in succeeding or failing in taking down the Neo Death Watch’s flagship, Edaan said with just a hint of a warning in it, “All right. You can join our team in capturing your mother, but, I expect you to follow our orders, even if they go against your better judgement.”

“Okay, I mean, yes sir!” Armand said in a military tone, standing straight and saluting, causing everyone but Boba Fett and Rayder Sei to chuckle in amusement.

“All right, I- wait. Guys, do you sense that?” Edaan said to the fourteen Force-sensitives among the invaders, who nodded at the question.

“What is it, guys?” Ghes worriedly asked no one in particular.

“I sense two things, a powerful Force-sensitve, and a massive disturbance in the Force.” Edaan worriedly said.

“That Force-sensitive must be Aurra Sing, and that disturbance must be Roly Melusar’s experiments.” Jaing said, before explaining his explanation, saying, “Before we left, my spies onboard the Chimaera told me that Melusar was working on some anti-Jedi weapons, and that Aurra was transferred to the _Chimaera_ in order to find you Jedi and your StealthX squadron.”

“Which means that Daala no doubt knows that we’re on her own ship.” Edaan despondently said.

“Hey, Edaan, count me in on taking down Daala. She’s killed too many of my people to be left to chance, and you’ll need the best at your side if you want to get past her pet, Aurra Sing.” Boba said with a hint of bloodthirstiness in his voice.

“If I let you come along, then you have to make sure to keep Daala alive, and perhaps Aurra Sing, as she might know where the Sith are located.” Edaan warned.

“I can promise Daala, but not Aurra Sing, as she might be too dangerous to be kept alive.” Boba warned.

“That’ll have to be good enough, because time is of the essense. All right, Mandalore, you have a deal. Now, let’s get moving.” Edaan ordered as the twenty-man team of Mandalorians, Void Jumpers, and Stormtroopers, as well as one Imperial Knight, took up positions in the hangar in case any enemy forces launched an incursion in order to take back the hangar. Once the small defense team fortified their position, the ninety-seven remaining men and women split up into their respective teams, and headed off to complete their portions of the mission.

_Meanwhile, on the Surface of Mandalore, Outside of the City of Kyrimorut_

Sintas Vel, Goran Beviin, Seha Dorvald, and Barratk’l, along with their team of twenty of Boba Fett’s Mandalorian Supercommandos, disembarked from their _Sentinel_ -class Landing Craft, the _Crix Madine_ , and each person was aghast to have seen the amount of destruction that had been wrought throughout the formerly majestic city as the landing craft landed in the makeshift command center: Entire blocks of the city were leveled from explosives, streets were littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers on both the side of the Shadow Alliance and Neo Death Watch.

The four-man-team quickly made their way to the center of the makeshift camp that made up the new command center of all of the Shadow Alliance’s operations, only to find only Etahn A’baht, Firmus Nantz, and Releqy A’Kla at the holotable that projected an image of the battles going on around and inside the cities of Sundari, Keldabe, and Kyrimorut. According to the projectors and their images, the Mandalorians were making massive progress in clearing out the cities of Kyrimorut and Kaldabe, but Sundari was holding its own, which surprised the four warriors, who quickly made their presence known to the three leaders when Goran said, “Where are the other members of the Grey Cadre? We have to speak with them immediately regarding a crucial mission.”

The three people of diverse species quickly looked up to see the four people standing at the entrance to their tent, and Releqy quickly said, “Ah, Master Barratk’l, Master Dorvald, Sintas, Goran. We heard that you were coming down to the planet. Commodore Turk Brand and Senator Ponc Gavrisom were critically injured during the fighting, so Doctor Jarael Chantique is operating on the senator as we speak. As for Admiral Kir Vantai and Ta’laam Ranth, they are somewhere in the camp, helping the men and doctors with whatever help that they can provide them. We don’t have much time, as we need to direct the guerilla warfare going on in Keldabe and Kyrimorut, against Admiral Daala’s larger army, as well as the defenses of Sundari that are holding out so far, to everyone’s surprise.”

“What city is Belok Rhal?” Goran viciously said, earning a disapproving glare from Seha.

“In Kyrimorut. But what…” General A’baht asked before he put the pieces together and said, “You came here to assassinate him.”

Barratk’l shook her head and said, “Only as a last resort, Admiral. We came here to capture him if we could, as he could tell us where the Dragon Lord and his Sith order is located.”

“Then you’ll need an army in order to capture him, as he’s in the center of the city, surrounded by at least two thousand of his most loyal soldiers, with another twelve thousand on his beck and call within two klicks of the city.” Admiral Nantz gravely said.

“How many soldiers do you still have under your command?” Seha asked, worried as to what the answer would be.

“Approximately ten thousand remain, and we’ve lost five thousand of our troops, while Rhal has lost about seven thousand, but is just absorbing those losses like they were battle droids, while we’ve had to pull the bulk of our forces out of Keldabe and Kyrimorut in order to save the majority of our forces.” General A’baht said, whose tone was just as grim as Admiral Nantz.

“So, this battle isn’t unwinnable, just difficult. But we have to do this, or we could lose the war, as if Belok remains, he could rally Daala’s forces and continue the fighting until either side can’t fight against the Sith.” Sintas replied in an all-businesslike tone that befitted a bounty hunter of her stature.

After sighing in defeat, Releqy said, “Then we’d better get to work in coming up with a feasible plan for taking Belok out of the mix, as we’re running out of time to win this war.”

“Glad to see that we’re all on the same page, Senator.” Goran gratefully said, ready to take the fight to the bastard that killed the love of his life. He only regretted that his adopted daughter, Dinua Jeban, couldn’t be with him when he captured the man who killed her other father. _Well, let’s hope that the_ manda _is with us, because I’m going to make Belok feel a whole galaxy’s worth of pain when I get my hands on him._ He thought as the seven people began devising a strategy to breach the defenses of Kyrimorut and bolstering the besieged defenders of the fallen city.

**Well, that ends my latest chapter of my best story yet. Sorry that it took so long, but I had to go to school, which is getting a bit difficult in one class, and spend the last Sunday hiking with my family in the mountains, so I was fairly busy. So, how is everyone doing on this fine Tuesday? I am well, and excited for the third season of _Star Wars Rebels_. My only concern is that I won’t be able to integrate it into my head canon, as it is including Wedge Antilles (who, I am sorry to say, will not be included in my story, in case anyone was wondering) as an Imperial defector, Darth Maul returns as a recurring villain, and Thrawn appears in _Rebels_ as a Grand Admiral before the computer game _Star Wars: TIE Fighter_ , and Jedi and Sith holocrons apparently can be merged together. Oh well, if worse comes to worst, I can just stop at Season Two in my head canon, and take what I can from season three without contradicting the Expanded Universe. By the way, can you guys believe that the DC Comics series, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five, is almost over, with only two chapters and the annual comic left to be released before the series ends. It’s really sad, as that series was one of the best non- _Star Wars_ series that I’ve ever read. Oh, and I’m sorry that this chapter was so short, but I needed to get this chapter done quickly because I am unsure as to when the next chapter will be posted, what, with school and life (well, mostly school) getting in the way. And, before I forget, I played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on my Xbox One in two days, and I am well on my way to completing _Mass Effect_. Once that’s done, I’ll play _Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II_ , and then _The Witcher II_. That should keep me busy for at least a few weeks. One more thing, those books that I told you that I ordered? Well, they came today. Now, that’s fast service. Anyway, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe! **

 


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey, all you Star Wars Expanded Universe lovers! How are you doing on this warm Wednesday? I am doing alright, as I got to briefly visit my uncle, who was about an hour away from my house. And, I am plowing through _Mass Effect_ , which is just as good as I remember it from two years ago. Today, I just finished the main quest on Noveria, giving me two more accomplishments, as well as a bunch of gamer points, and I plan to take on a bunch of side quests before moving onto the planet Feros. Oh, and if you guys are fans of _The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt_ , and are lovers of Geralt and Triss being together as lovers, then you should check out DaWitcher’s one work, The Witcher: My Heart Will Always Recognize You, as it continues the _Witcher_ story after the game and all of its DLCs, and it is beyond exceptional, as well as very romantic, if I do say so myself, and it promises a lot of intrigue and medieval warfare. Anyway, are you guys excited, and a little apprehensive, about the premiere of Season Three of Star Wars: Rebels, because I am a little of both, since I am unsure if I can integrate it into my Star Wars head canon? Let’s hope that I can, otherwise I’ll be hurt even further by what I consider to be the betrayal that Disney and Lucasfilm did for so many of its fans. And to think that I once looked forward to watching new episodes of the show, _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ , on Fridays and Saturdays every week that a new episode came on. Now, I can’t bear to watch it by all of the DVDs that I collected of every season, all the way from Season One to Six (Oh, and I collected the YouTube versions of the Utupau and Bad Batch arcs, and the Novel, _Star Wars: Dark Disciple_ , as I loved the show so much back when Star Wars was simpler to me), as it was never completed due to what I consider to be greed and a lust for complete control over _Star Wars_ , just like the Expanded Universe was canceled over two years ago, which was the worst possible decision that the Lucasfilm Story Group could have made, in my honest opinion. If you feel otherwise, please feel free to disagree in a responsible manner, as I’m sure that plenty of Star Wars fans have different opinions, and that’s okay, because everyone is different, and, as the old saying goes, our differences are what make the world go round. But, if the people in charge of Star Wars won’t continue the Expanded Universe, then it will be up to the loyal fans to continue it in our own way. May the Force be with us all, as all of the _Star Wars_ fans may need it in the dark days to come, if the current pieces of literature are any indication. Anyway, what do you say that we get on with the story, as I’m sure that you’re dying for more of the Siege of Mandalore, the final battle of the Second Mandalorian Civil War, as well as to what happens to many of the heroes and villians, since those that have followed this saga from the beginning have a pretty good idea of what happens after the civil war? So, let’s get started, my friends!**

_Forty Minutes Later, Inside the_ Chimaera

Edaan Palpatine was having the time of his young life. At every turn, he and his teammates were besieged by Admiral Natasi Daala’s elite guards of the Neo Death Watch, which gave him an outlet for the crucible of rage and disgust that was burning inside of him as a result of the depths that Daala and her minions would go to in order to wipe out the Force. Fortunately for him, the thirteen-man team that included Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, Armand Vorn, the Second Chance’s crew, Corran Horn, Jaden Korr, and Jaina Solo Fel, was making significant progress to the Star Destroyer’s bridge, which meant that he would soon face some of his demons and emerge stronger because of it. They had already made their way to the barracks on the _Chimaera_ , taking out at least two hundred of Daala’s soldiers in the last forty minutes, and were proceeding to the commissary, which, from there, would lead to the turbolifts that would take them to the bridge of the former flagship of Grand Admirals’ Thrawn and Pellaeon, where Admrial Daala would, hopefully, be located.

Sensing that there were no enemy forces in the general area, Edaan motioned for his comrades to get a minute of rest before they proceeded any further, and he motioned for Artoo to come forward.

“Yes, Edaan?” Artoo asked in an inquiring tone.

“Artoo, patch me through to the other teams. I want to see how they’re doing with their missions.” Edaan told his friend.

“One moment…” Artoo said as he moved to an uplink in order to bypass the Chimaera’s jamming signal. “All right, I’m through the jamming. But I would make it last up to two minutes, Edaan, as Daala’s technicians will trace and eventually block this signal.” The astromech warned.

“That’ll be fine, Artoo.” Jaina said as she and Mirta came forward, overhearing the conversation between the two shipmates.

“Don’t you two ladies have anything better to do than eavesdrop on my conversations?” Edaan said in an annoyed tone.

“Nope.” The two women simultaneously said as Artoo projected an image of each of the team leaders that were wreaking havoc throughout the ship.

“All teams, status report.” Edaan said in a militaristic tone as each squad leader, which included Voort sa Binring, Rayder Sei, the Jedi Knight, Bhixen, and the sole Imperial Knight that was in charge of the defense of the _Chimaera_ ’s hangar, Mohgran Val.

“ _Wraith Squadron here. We’ve made our way to the scientists’ labs, but no sign of Melusar. Over._ ” Voort shouted as he moved to an unknown position, firing his blaster as he continued, saying, “ _He must have a special lab within the_ Chimaera _, because we know that he’s here._ _Our Imperial Knight told us that there’s a bubble that’s pushing away the Force in the Star Destroyer’s officer’s section, so we’re all heading there next._ ”

“ _Ghost Squadron, reporting in. We’ve managed to assassinate the officers in charge of the Chimaera’s turbolasers, as well as damaged the ship’s hyperdrive and engines, so Daala’s ship has lost its fangs and legs, so to speak. We’ll be joining Wraith Squadron in their endeavors._ ” Rayder Sei calmly said.

“Just tell me that none of your fellow hitmen took the soup from your victims.” Edaan hesitatingly said.

“ _Don’t worry, Edaan, we are professionals, so we can control our hunger more than our less experienced hunters._ ” Rayder said in a reassuring tone.

“ _Krayt team, reporting in!_ ” The Togorian Jedi, Bhixen, said in absence of Jaing, who must have been too busy dealing with enemy troops to answer the call. “ _We’ve made our way to the mess hall, and we’ve taken out at least three hundred of Daala’s troops with minimal casualties on our side._ ”

“Excellent.” Edaan said before turning to Mohgran Val and asked, “How are you and your men holding up, Knight Val?”

“ _So far, so good, Edaan. We’ve only had two incursions by enemy forces, and we’ve driven them back with no casualties on our side. But, I think that Daala’s probing our defenses before she sends in an overwhelming number of troops to the hangar._ ” The Imperial Knight curtly said.

“Then we’d better step up our efforts to capture Daala, Sing, and Melusar.” Mirta mused, earning a look of disapproval from Edaan for interrupting him.

Edaan then gleefully said, “All right, keep us appraised of any developments. We’re closing in on the bridge, and we can sense that Daala and Aurra Sing are there. We should have her within the next hour, just in time for our big surprise. Vibro Team, out.”

With those words said, the young Jedi motioned for Artoo to cut the transmission, who then said, “Good job, old friend.”

“Thank you, Edaan. It always feels good to be appreciated by your friends for a job well done.” Artoo happily said.

“All right. If we’re all done with our little chat, then let’s get on with the mission. Time is of the essence, after all.” Corran said, earning a nod of confirmation from Boba Fett.

As Edaan got up and the thirteen-man team resumed their run to the turbolifts, he wittily muttered under his breath, “ _Sirs, yes sirs._ ”, which earned a chuckle from Artoo, Jaina, and Mirta, who were close enough to him in order to hear him. _Why must everyone mock me so?_ Edaan gloomily thought as he and his teammates cut, in the form of the Force-sensitives with their lightsabers, with the exception of Adari, and blasted, which included the rest of Edaan’s crew the two Mandalorians, and Armand Vorn, who used blaster pistols and rifles, their way through another two squads of Mandalorians and Maw Irregular Fleet forces.

 _Meanwhile, on the Bridge of the_ Chimaera

“Admiral, we’ve lost contact with the mess hall and decks three through five!” One officer shouted as another yelled, “The scientist’s lab and engine room have been destroyed, the turbolasers have been disabled, and the hyperdrive core is damaged!”, and another said, “Squad twelve through seventeen have reported thirteen intruders heading for the turbolifts! According to my estimations, they’ll be at the turbolifts within fifteen minutes!”, while one more officer said “Admiral, the remnants of Moff Vansyn’s fleet have been destroyed, and the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild is reporting heavy casualties!”

“ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU!!! The next person who reports bad news to me gets shot in the head!” Daala shouted in irate rage as she quickly paced across the bridge.

“Does that include me, Daala?” A smug voice said from behind her, causing Daala to abruptly turn around.

“What now?!” Daala growled out as Aurra Sing betrayed no emotion at being yelled at by her contractor.

“Well, Admiral, I can sense several presences that are strong in the Force among the intruders that are coming our way, and two of them are Edaan Palpatine and Jaina Solo Fel. I can also sense that Boba Fett and Mirta Gev are with the two of them.”

“I expected Fett would make an appearance, just not alongside a filthy Jedi like Edaan, and a blasted Imperial Knight like Jaina.” Daala replied, before calming down and said to the Mandalorian in Magenta armor, with various markings across the armor, with a starbird painted on the left shoulder pad, with an antique lightsaber hanging from her belt, “Is everything in postion?”

“Yes, Admiral. The explosives have been planted throughout the ship where you ordered, and they are primed to go off at your command. And the Supercommandos are in position throughout the _Chimaera_ , including here on the bridge, so we can give those Jedi-lovers what’s coming to them.”

“Good.” Daala said as she breathed a sigh of relief that at least something was going right on board this ship. “I owe you a debt of gratitude, Commander Wren.”

At those words uttered, the female Mandalorian took off her helmet to reveal an aged and tan face with brown eyes, and auburn-dyed hair. “Thank you Admiral. It’s always good to help cause some destruction for a good cause.” She said.

“Good, because we’re about to cause a galaxy-load of it here, and we’re just getting started, Sabine.” Daala said as Aurra rolled her eyes in annoyance at the banter occurring as a _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer on their side was destroyed by a squadron of B _es'uliiks_ on the Shadow Alliance’s side.

“I hate to interrupt but… no, that’s a lie, I’d love to interrupt, but we have a battle to lead, and the Jedi and their allies are getting closer to the turbolifts.” Aurra annoyingly said, earning the ire of the two women, as they turned to face her with stares that could intimidate a krayt dragon.

 _Meanwhile, On the_ Megador

Nek Bwua’tu, Venku Skirata, Gavin Darklighter, Kral Nevil, Trista Zel, Azzim Anjilic Atirue, Traest Kre’frey, Ephin Sarreti, and Releqy A’Kla were in a better mood, as the battle in space was starting to turn back in their favor. Ever since the battle began, Natasi Daala had, since the Shadow Alliance had diverted her attention with their incursion into the _Chimaera_ , and she couldn’t focus all of her attention on the battle at hand, lost five _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, three Nebulon-B Frigates, one of her two Mediator-class Battle Cruisers, one MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, four of her five _Marauder_ -class Corvettes, two Dornean Gunships, one Bulwark Battlecruiser, two Republic Star Destroyers, one Nebula-class Star Destroyers, one Endurance-class Fleet carrier, twelve Loronar _Strike_ -class Medium Cruisers, the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild’s flagship, three Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, and three c-B Frigates, eight Assault Frigates class Mark II, twenty Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, one _Scimitar_ -class frigate, three _Crusader_ -class corvettes, a nine _Assassin_ -class corvettes, a wing of Scimitar assault bombers, three wings of TIE/LN Starfighters that, even from this distance, had heavy armaments that included proton torpedo launchers and heavy laser cannons, two wings of fighters ranging from before the rise of the First Empire to the era of the Second Galactic Civil War, six wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, two wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, seven _Stathas_ -class freighters, five _Keldabe_ -class battleships, twenty heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships, and twelve _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers.

On the Shadow Alliance’s side, they had, since the battle had began, lost eight _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, one Imperial Interdictor Cruiser, two Hapan Battle Dragons, one MedStar-class, one wings of Predators, one _Galactic_ -class Battle Carrier, five Lancer-class frigates, and four MC90 Capitol Ship cruisors, five Nova-Class battle cruisers, two Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, ten Gozanti-class Cruisers came form the Imperial Mission, two _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Vainglorius_ -class cruisers, three _Consular_ -class Cruisers, eight _Carrack_ -class Light Cruisers with external starfighter racks, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, two chelandion-class warships, eight Hutt Batils and Tarradas each, three Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers that belonged to the Hutt Grand Council, a wing of _Bes'uliiks_ , five Keldabe-class cruisers, thirty Firespray Pursuit-class fighters, ten MandalMotors Pursuer-class enforcement ships, one Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser, a Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruiser, two Assault Frigates class Mark II, a Republic-class cruiser, and the sole Assassin-class Corvette on the Shadow Alliance’s side, one Star Galleon-class Frigates, one MC90 Capitol Ship cruisers, two Bothan Assault Cruisers, and ten support ships of various designs, ranging from Star Galleons to Gallofree GR-75 Medium Transports, more colloquially called “Rebel Transports.”

“ _Well, it looks like we may yet survive this battle, after all. Daala’s lost the majority of her Jedi hunters, and her fleet is slowly being pushed back. At this rate, we may not need our reinforcements, which should be here within ninety minutes._ ” Grand Moff Sarreti said with a hint of relief in his tone as another squadron of Predators on the Shadow Alliance’s side destroyed a squad of slower, but stronger and more heavily modified TIE Fighters that belonged to Daala.

“ _Let’s not get carried away, Ephin. According to the reports that are coming in from the_ Chimaera _, the teams still have a ways to go before they capture Daala, Sing, and Melusar. Anyway, how is Goran Beviin and the others doing on the ground?_ ” Admiral Kre’frey asked.

“ _They are going over preparations with the rest of the available members of the Gery Cadre, Admiral. They are prepared to launch an assault in order to capture or eliminate Belok Rhal. One Belok is out of the picture, and Kyrimorut is secure, the remaining forces of our army will move on to reinforce the besieged forces at Keldabe and Sundari, and take out Black Krrsantan and his forces._ ” Releqy dutifully said, eager to get all of this bloodshed done so that the Shadow Alliance could move on to dealing with the true followers of the Dark Side, the Sith.

“ _Excellent. How are our ground forces doing?_ ” Azzim asked no one in particular.

“The Shadow Alliance has only lost about four thousand of our soldiers, while Daala has lost about thirteen thousand and six hundred of her fighters. At this rate, Beviin and the Jedi’s mission might succeed after all.” Venku reported, who was filling in for Boba Fett on the Megador as the liason for the Mandalorian clans while Fett helped Edaan capture Daala.

“ _Well, at least the battle on the ground is going better than the battle in space._ ” Trista Zel said with stoic humor from the Hapes Consortium’s flagship, the _Dragon Queen II_.

“ _Yes, but let’s not forget that we still have a ways to go before the defense of Mandalore is over. After all, Daala, Aurra Sing, Black Krrsantan, Belok Rhal, and several of her Jedi hunters are still out there, and as long as they are, this battle is still up for grabs._ ” Gavin reminded everyone before continuing, saying, “ _Anyway, we’ve lost about twenty percent of our fighter complements, while Daala must have lost at least forty-five percent of her starfighters. At this rate, Daala should lose the remainder of her fighters in just about three hours, while we will have up to half of our fighter complement after the battle is over, assuming that we’re all still alive._ ” He informed everyone while trying to inject a little humor into the briefing. Unfortunately for the Galactic Alliance admiral, no one laughed, or even chuckled, as the situation was too serious for anyone to be laughing right now.

“ _Anyway… If there’s nothing else, I’ll be getting back to commanding the_ Nossor Ri _and the rest of the Dac Task Force._ ” Kral awkwardly said. With that said, everyone disconnected their command ship’s holonet transceivers, leaving Bwua’tu and Venku alone with the rest of the bridge of the _Megador_ ’s crew.

“Well, now that that’s over, I’d better get back to leading the Shadow Alliance’s fleets and armies. Inform me of any sudden developments through the Force.” Bwua’tu said to Venku as he resumed observing the battle from a holotable that showed the progress of the ongoing space battle.

_Meanwhile, In Space, In the Mandalore System_

Nash Windrider was in a murderous rage right now, which was common for him at this point as he made his TIE Defender make a 180-degree turn in order to avoid laserfire from two X-Wings from the infamous X-Wing squadron, Rogue Squadron, and then blasted away at the astromech droid of Rogue Ten, as well as portions of the starfighter, causing the X-Wing to explode, killing the pilot as well.

 _Good. Just nine more ships to go, and then we can get on to more important matters._ Nash gleefully thought, eager to avenge the six starfighters of his squadron that those accursed Shadow Alliance fighters had destroyed.

 

Syal Antilles was horrified, as she just saw her wingmate, Rogue Ten, better known as Quinn Malavi, but colloquially known as “Mynock”, was just killed by the lead TIE Defender.

 _Oh, I will kill you myself for that, Nash Windrider. You are a disgrace to your people, and I will see all those that you’ve butchered by your hand avenged._ Syal silently vowed to herself as she blasted at the engines of another TIE Defender, causing it to explode.

“All fighters, report in!” Syal barked out as she dodged the laserfire from Nash’s TIE Defender. One after another, each X-Wing, besides Rogues Seven, Ten, and Twelve, reported in with minimal damage to their ships, causing Syal to sigh in relief since her squadron was still in fighting shape.

“All right, I’m going after Nash Windrider. Everyone else, keep those TIEs off of my back.” After hearing a string of acknowledgements from her remaining squadmates, she turned her ship to face Nash’s personal TIE Defender, and charged right for it. _May the Force be with us all._ Syal grimly thought as she began to blast away at the TIE Defender, beginning, what she hoped to be, her final battle with the wing commander of Admiral Daala’s navy.

 _Meanwhile, In a Secret Lab Within the_ Chimaera

Roly Melusar was hard at work, struggling to finish the final touches on his prototype Midi-Cholorian-Destroyer95, or MD95, for short, bioweapons before the cursed Force-lovers found him. He had only a few minutes to go before the molecular structure of the bioweapons that would decimate, and eventually destroy, the intruders of the _Chimaera_.

After three minutes of intense working alongside his staff, along with a massive amount of sweat that came off of Melusar’s forehead due to the heat in the lab, Melusar and his personal staff whooped in delight that he was done with the first batch of MD95 weapons was completed, he was contacted on his personal holonet transceiver, which meant that either Admiral Daala or the head of his security detail was contacting him. Hoping that Daala was contacting him, and eager to share the good news with her, he activated the holonet transceiver, and, to his disappointment, a member of his security detail, a Siniteen female named El-Les, contacted him with a look of horror on her face.

“El-Les, what’s wrong?” Melusar said as he adopted a look of concern on his face.

“ _Commander, the enemy is breaking through our ranks! We can’t hold them back, they’re- AUUGH!!_ ” The Siniteen screamed as blaster bolts went through her legs, causing her to collapse in agony. She was then shot in the head by a Yuuzhan Vong wearing heavy combat armor.

 _What in blazes?! A Yuuzhan Vong is here? Has the galaxy gone insane, well more so than it already is?!_ Melusar lividly thought as he realized that he would be killed by the enemy, and he would not be able to realize his dream of stopping the Force-sensitives from destroying the galaxy. Well, if he would die, then he would die fighting for what he believed in, just like he always did. He readied his blaster, and motioned for the ten members of his staff to do the same as the door was being cut opened by a white lightsaber.

 _Imperial Knight, it has to be._ Melusar mused as he and his team took up defensive positions throughout the lab.

 

Rayder Sei and Voort sa Binring were issuing orders to their teams as their Imperial Knight, a Rutian Twi’lek that was called Ellix Vao, was cutting a sizeable hole through the durasteel door that blocked the twenty-two-man team, minus one Anzati assassin that was killed during her mission to disable the _Chimaera_ ’s turbolasers, and was already halfway done.

“All right. Is everyone ready?” Voort asked everyone as the Imperial Knight was three-fifths done with the door.

“Yeah!” the members of Wraith and Ghost Sqaudrons said as they prepared to capture Roly Melusar.

 _Meanwhile, at the_ Chimaera _’s Tubolifts_

As Edaan Palpatine eliminated the last Stormtrooper that guarded the turbolifts to the Chimaera’s bridge, Artoo and Robonino finished slicing into the security systems that were locking down the turbolift. And it opened.

“All right, only ten people can enter the turbolift at a time, so, here’s how we’ll do this, Adari, Robonino, Jaina, Mirta, Boba, Corran, and I will go in first while the rest of you cover the turbolift as we capture Daala and Aurra Sing, download the ship’s computer data, and initiate the ship’s self-destruct.” Edaan explained to his teammates.

“All right, good luck, guys. May the _manda_ , and the Force, be with you.” Ghes said, saying the latter in a peacemaking tone in order to appease the non-Mandalorians among the boarding team.

“Let’s hope that it is, Ghes. Otherwise, we’re in deep _poodoo_.” Edaan said as everyone else chuckled at Edaan’s use of slang. With those words said, and Ghes and Mirta shared a quick kiss for luck, the seven warriors entered the turbolift, and ascended to the bridge, where the most important art of the Defense of Mandalore would begin.

**And, that ends my latest chapter. I have to say, I am impressed with myself, as I’ve wrote over 1,900 words of this chapter today. Anyway, on to more important matters. Yes, I am including Sabine Wren in my story, and I will use her well, and in big ways, in my upcoming stories. But, I will only include what occurred up to Season Two of _Star Wars: Rebels_ , with some of Season Three, as I have a feeling that I can’t incorporate much of Season Three into the Expanded Universe, since it is going to take place two years before the Battle of Yavin, and by this point, the Rebel Alliance is formally founded. Anyway, the battle is starting to reach its climax, as soon, Daala, Belok Rhal, and Melusar will meet their fates, while Aurra Sing and Black Krrsantan’s fates will be up for grabs. By the way, did you watch the latest episode of _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_? I told you that the Aeons crystal would corrupt April, and man, do I regret getting it right. Let’s hope that April comes to her senses soon, before someone does something that they will regret. And, in sadder news, Injustive: Gods Among Us is just about over, with two more chapters (the second-to-last one is coming out tomorrow) and the last Annual comic left to be released, and then, it’s all over. At least there is a sequel game and comic book series coming out, that’s something to look forward to. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I will include the renegade politicians and the former Black Sun Vigos in later chapters, so, don’t worry about that. One more thing, it has been fifteen years since 9/11, and I cannot believe how much things have changed since that terrible day. May God rest all of the souls that have perished since that day due to the terrorist attack, and May God watch over us all in these dark times. Well, I think that’s everything. So, good night, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	19. Chapter 18

**Hello, boys and girls that love all things of Star Wars! What’s up on this fine Tuesday? I am doing fine, as I mowed my parent’s lawn today, and attended my main class at my community college today. Oh, and I also saw the second-to-last chapter of _Injustive: Gods Among Us_ today, and I am both disgusted and incensed with Catwoman for betraying the location of Batman’s secret base over to Superman, and feeling a small amount of pity for her since she did it out of a misguided love for Batman. Also, judging from the images that the comic showed, Superman has lost it (As if it wasn’t obvious already by what was shown in Year Five alone). If only the comic covered the game as well, as it would have been cool to have the game in comic book form. Oh, and, judging from the name of the latest episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I found on Wikipedia, and is named “Darkest Plight”, I have a very bad feeling about April O’Neil and her fate. We’d better hope that the Turtles and their allies can stop her before she does something that she will regret for the rest of her life. Now, on to Star Wars matters. First off, don’t worry, I am doing my best to stay true to the Expanded Universe, while including some things of the Disney Canon into what I consider to be the true Star Wars Expanded Universe, as long as said elements don’t conflict with the true EU. Second, I plan to have the Defence (Or Siege. Take your pick.) of Mandalore wrapped up within the next… oh, let’s say… five or six chapters, as I don’t want to get so engrossed in this single story that I lose sight of the overall saga. Oh, and Nash Windrider’s fate will be resolved as well in this story, as I don’t want yet another Force-hating and dictatorship-loving nutcase out there in the galaxy, as Daala and Melusar are bad enough out there as it is. So, with all of that out of the way, what do you say that we get on with the story, as the final battle within the Siege of Mandalore is about to begin on three fronts? May the Force be with our heroes, as they’ll need it and more in order to beat Daala, her minions, and her Sith masters.**

_Onboard the_ Chimaera _’s Bridge_

Sabine Wren, the seventy-seven-year-old commander of Daala’s Vindicator Brigade, a six thousand-man Mandalorian army, was eager to get this upcoming battle over with, as she had fond memories of fighting alongside all of her comrades over the past sixty-two years. As she issued commands to the troops that were under her command, and dispatched throughout the Mandalore System, through her Nite Owls helmet’s commlink, Admiral Daala, her current leader, was preparing her seventy men and women, along with her personal Force detector, Aurra Sing, and her three members of the Crimson Nova bounty hunters and three GenoHadaren assassins that helped protect the admiral, for the inevitable Shadow Alliance incursion that was coming due to the seven-man team that was riding up the turbolift that led up to the _Chimaera_ ’s bridge.

“Sabine, are you ready to prove your loyalty towards your people, and take out the galaxy’s true enemies once and for all?”

“Oh, yes, Natasi.” Sabine viciously said as she readied herself for what she was about to do, and silently prayed to the _manda_ that she, and the men and women under her command, would survive the coming battle between the Neo Death Watch and the Shadow Alliance.

With those words said, the three GenoHadaren assassins, the thirty Mandalorians, and forty Maw Irregular Fleet soldiers quietly took up positions throughout the bridge, and Aurra Sing took out her blasters as she shouted, “THEY’RE HERE!”

Ten seconds after she yelled those words, the turbolift dinged, and opened to reveal seven people in the turbolift, who quickly exited the turbolift either activated their lightsabers or raised their blasters. Sabine’s Heads Up Display on her Mandalorian helmet scanned each of the people that exited, and their resumes were quite impressive. Two of them were instantly recognizeable through their armor: Boba Fett, apparently going by the name of Mandalore the Protector, and Mirta Gev, the granddaughter of Boba Fett, and one of the few people with the courage to desert Daala and rejoin her family, earning a modicum of respect from Sabine, as she admired loyalty towards one’s family. Another face that she instantly recognized was the young Jedi Knight who was called Edaan Palpatine, and was the great-great-grandson of Darth Sidious, as well as a former captive of Daala, and the founder of the Shadow Alliance. The fourth face that she recognized was Jaina Solo Fel, galactic empress of the Fel Empire, former Jedi Council Member, and “Sword of the Jedi.” The last face that she recognized was the Patrolian bounty hunter named Robonino. The other two people were people that Sabine didn’t recognize, but her HUD identified the human as Corran Horn, a Jedi Council member, and the Keshiri as Adari Thayn, the leader of the Keshiri Resistance against the Lost Tribe of the Sith, and girlfriend of Edaan.

 _I hope my plan works, otherwise, we’re all in deep_ poodoo _._ Sabine grimly thought as she kept her weapons raised at the intruders.

*

Edaan Palpatine was staring into the face of pure, fanatical, and unrestrained evil in the form of Natasi Daala, and he was disgusted with what he saw. She was looking at him and Boba Fett with a look of undisguised glee and bloodlust, further engraging the young Jedi.

“Ah, Edaan, Fett- oops, I mean ‘Mandalore the Protector’, and Mirta Gev. I’m so glad that you three of you, in addition to Master Horn, had the courtesy to come to my ship and surrender to me and the Neo Death Watch in person.” Daala smugly said.

“Don’t make us laugh, Daala. We came here to get you, Melusar, and Sing. You two have one chance to come peacefully, or we’ll take you and your minions down by force.” Corran spitefully said as he struggled to control the murderous urges that were seething throughout his entire body as a result of seeing the woman who ordered the experimentation and murder of his beloved daughter, Jysella Horn.

“Wel, well, Master Horn. Who knew that you had anger issues? So much for so-called Jedi superiority.” Aurra Sing arrogantly said, casuing everyone but the female Mandalorian with various art designs painted all around her armor.

As Boba came to Corran’s defense, and called Daala out for her tyranny and lust for blood and revenge, Edaan could not help but notice that the designs of the multi-colored Mandalorian looked familiar, especially with the starbird that was painted on her left shoulderpad, and the antique lightsaber that hung from her belt. In fact, the lightsaber looked like the legendary Darksaber, a black lightsaber that the Mandalorians stole form the Coruscant Jedi Temple during the New Sith Wars, was used by the Orginal Death Watch movement by their leader, the Secret Mandalore, and was last owned by the Lothal Rebel, the legendary Mandalorian Sabine Wren, before she disappeared from the Rebel Alliance around the Battle of Yavin, along with the rest of her team of rebels.

Suddenly, like he was hit by a hoverbus as the realization came to him. With a tremor in his voice as he mentally prayed to the Force that his suspicions were false, he shouted, “Are you Sabine Wren?!”

These four words brought everyone up short, while Boba and Mirta looked at Edaan as if he had grown a second head, Daala and Sing raised their eyebrows in surprise, and the female Mandalorian raised her head at the young Jedi Knight, and said, “What makes you think that, Jedi?”

“Your helmet design is that of the Night Owls of Death Watch during the Clone War, your armor is styled like Sabine Wren’s during her time with the early Rebel Alliance, and she was the last person who was documented to have the Darksaber. And, I can sense your shock at the accusation, which gives my claim some credence.” Edaan explained, before continuing, saying, “If you aren’t Sabine Wren, then take off your helmet, and show us who you really are.”

“Humph. I have to admit, you are one smart Jedi.” The female Mandalorian said as she removed her helmet to reveal her auburn-colored hair, wrinkled tan face, and dark brown eyes.

After Edaan studied her for a moment, he realized that his suspicions were true, and his face adopted a horrified expression, and shouted, “I can’t believe it! HOW CAN YOU BETRAY EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR COMRADES FOUGHT FOR DURING THE FIRST GALACTIC CIVIL WAR BY ALLYING WITH A DEMON LIKE DAALA?!”

“You understand nothing, Edaan Palpatine, least of all my loyalties.” Sabine said as she, unknown to everyone but Boba and Edaan, touched a button on her gauntlet.

“Alright, Sabine, don’t get into a debate with this miserable wretch. It’s not worth it.” Aurra said to her fellow bounty hunter, recalling how she nearly got sucked into one with Edaan when he was her prisoner on the _Gorgon’s Revenge_.

“That’s funny, coming from a selfish and petty woman who took out her hatred on the entire First Jedi Order becasue your former Jedi master, An’ya Kuro, better known as the ‘Dark Woman’, left you in the hands of pirates. Yes, her actions were deplorable, and you have every right to hate her, but she suffered for her sins for the rest of her life, and you have no right to make Jedi Padawans scared of becoming Jedi Knights, only for you to kill them.” Edaan angrily retorted, causing Aurra to adopt a dangerous look on her face as she pulled out a lightsaber with a blue blade that came out of it when ignited.

“Do you know whose lightsaber this is, Edaan Palpatine?” Aurra asked. After receiving a blank look from the Jedi Knight, she continued, smugly saying, “It’s the lightsaber of Tahiri Veila, who I believe that you knew quite well before we killed her.”

After grinding his teeth in anger, Edaan viciously said, “Oh, I am so going to enjoy taking you down, Sing, and finally have you accountable for all of your crimes against the galaxy.”

“That’s funny, Edaan, because I was hoping to have you accountable for your crimes of opposing me and my efforts to bring order back to the galaxy.” Daala said as her personal holocomm beeped, causing her to groan and pull said holocomm and activate it. It revealed the crouched form of her Special Force Advisor, Roly Melusar, who was holding a blaster rifle and shooting frantically at unseen enemies.

“Melusar, report! What’s going on?!” Daala ground out.

“ _Admiral, the enemy’s breached the lab, is incapacitating all of my staff, and disabling all of my MD95 weapons. Send reinforcements to my position at once!_ ” Melusar shouted just before he was hit by a stun beam, causing him to fall to the floor, to reveal a Gamorrean and Yuuzhan Vong come into range of the transmission as they placed stun cuffs on Melusar.

 _Of all the times for my plans to start to fall apart, WHY NOW?!_ Daala mentally screamed as she shut off the homocomm and stare at a smug Edaan.

“Well, Daala, ready to surrender now? As we speak, our navy and armies are beating back your forces, and we’ll be receiving reinforcements within the next eighty minutes.” Edaan asked.

“NEVER! I still have the upper hand, and killing the seven of you will throw the Shadow Alliance into disarray.” Daala viciously said, before hearing a pair of blasters that she recognized as WESTAR-35 blaster pistols blast at two of her Maw Irregular Forces, causing their corpses to fall limply to the ground as Daala turned to her right to see a determined Sabine hold her two WESTAR-35 blaster pistols firmly in her hands.

“Yeah… I’m thinking that you don’t have the upper hand anymore Daala. Take a look at your precious fleet on the tactical monitors.” Sabine seriously said as she held one of her blasters at Daala’s head while the renegade admiral looked on with shock and horror as twenty-five of the Mandalorians that were present blasted at the rest of her forces, while Aurra Sing began to battle with Edaan, Boba, and Mirta.

*

Aurra Sing was both livid and excited. Despite the fact that the odds were now stacked against her, she finally, after so many years of going without killing a Jedi, had a prime opportunity to kill one of the cursed Order’s best Knights, not to mention the accursed bounty hunter that stiffed her of a fortune that should have rightfully been hers seventy-eight years ago. That was why she charged at the three warriors, while Edaan charged at Aurra, the desire for blood evident in his eyes as he activated his violet lightsaber, the same color as her former master, who she was glad to know that was long dead, by Darth Vader’s own hand, no less. She quickly attacked with Form II, Makashi, but found herself countered by Edaan’s equal expert use of the lightsaber form. So, realizing that this battle required a long-distance approach, Aurra then used the Force to augment her speed, nimbly dodging the blaster bolts that were fired by Mirta and Boba.

 _This is going to take a bit longer than I thought._ Aurra thought with grim determination as she dodged Edaan’s use of Force Lightning, which surprised Aurra, as she detected no use of the Dark Side of the Force from Edaan, which meant that he must have used Plo Koon’s technique, the Electric Judgment, a light-side use of Force Lightning. _Well, at least it will be fun._ She thought as she used disintegrator rifle to keep her three enemies off-balance.

*

Just as Jaina Solo Fel and Corran Horn were finishing off the remainder of Daala’s security teams, their heads were nearly cleaved off of their shoulders by three GenoHadaren assassins that appeared out of nowhere. The two Force wielders then focused their attention on the three master assassins, who jumped back to avoid them as the swung their lightsabers at their enemies.

Realizing that they could not defeat their enemies with conventional means, Jaina and Corran reached deep within their reservoirs of the Force, and unleashed their talents on their opponents. Corran used his abilities to project images of multiple enemies in two of the GenoHadaren assassins, which caused one to swing at nothing but thin air, while the other one did not seem to be strong-minded, so charged at the Jedi in order to free her partner’s mind from the illusions that affected him.

This proved to be a terrible blunder, as Corran sideswiped her blows, cut her right arm off, and struck his lightsaber through the chest of his other opponent, causing him to gasp, gurgle in pain, and die within seconds.

On Jaina’s side of the battle, she force-pushed her adversary into a wall, and kept him restrained until she knocked him out by launching a side kick into his face that was so strong, it would keep him out cold for hours. As she and Corran turned back to face Daala, they saw that Adari and Robonino had dealt with the Crimson Nova bounty hunters.

*

“Sabine, _why_?!” Daala aghastly whispered as she saw the readouts on the tactical monitor: Ten _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, the last Mediator-class Battle Cruiser that came with the renegade Galactic Alliance forces, five MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, another _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer, and the last Dornean gunship were each destroyed in a series of fiery explosions, and all hands on board were reported to killed by surviving ships. To make matters worse, a wing of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, three _Stathas_ -class freighters, three _Keldabe_ -class battleships, ten heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships, and three _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers had opened fire on several ships on her side, and destroyed ten additional ships, further crippling Daala’s already weakened navy.

“Isn’t it obvious, Admiral? I love a good explosion, and your ships were prime targets for my latest pieces of art.” Sabine happily said as her twenty-two surviving Mandalorians finished off the remainder of Daala’s bodyguards.

“You mean to tell me that you committed all of this death and destruction, as well as all but guaranteed our defeat, just for your sick _kicks_?!” Daala lividly said, practically shouting at this point.

“Of course not, Daala. I did it to derail your sick ambitions for the galaxy, and to serve the true _Mand’alor_ , Boba Fett. Or, I guess I should call him by his moniker, Mandalore the Protector. Huh. It’s actually got a pretty good ring to it, when you stop and think about it.” Sabine in response before turning reflective.

“Chaos take you all.” Daala hatefully spat out as she saw Aurra become surrounded by Edaan, Mirta, Corran, Jaina, Adari, and Boba.

“It’ll take you first, you crazy _di’kut_.” Sabine replied as she fired her WESTAR-35 blaster pistols at the admiral, causing Daala to fall limply to the metal floor as she was knocked unconscious by the stun blasts.

“Nicely done, fellow bounty hunter! I didn’t think that an old woman could surprise me like that, but boy, was I glad to be proven wrong.” a small but experienced voice said from below Sabine’s eyesight. She looked down to see a purple Patrolian smiling in glee at her.

“Thanks, I guess?” Sabine awkwardly said before moving to put stun cuffs on Daala’s wrists and ankles. After finishing, she asked, “So, I take it that you’re Edaan’s bounty hunter companion?”

“Yep. My name is Robonino, and I am happy to be of service.” Robonino merrily said as he began to type at the Chimaera’s main console in order to activate the Star Destroyer’s self-destruct. After a minute of typing, he finished, and said, “Well, I’ve set the self-destruct on a one hour timer, the ship’s remaining turbolasers will be firing on its adjacent ships in twenty minutes, I’ve downloaded all of the Chimaera’s data from its computers for Artoo and our techincians to sift through, and I’ve directed all of the ship’s power to shields and weapons, so we’d better get moving if we want to be alive for the celebration feast after the Second Mandalorian Civil War’s over.”

“Nice work.” Sabine said, more than a little impressed by this forty-year-old bounty hunter’s professionalism.

*

 _Curse these Jedi and their minions!_ Aurra thought as she overheard the two bounty hunters talk about the Chimaera’s imminent destruction. She struggled to find a way to outmaneuver her enemies and escape to fight another day, but she could not find a way out. Well, if she had to die, then she’d take out as many of the enemy as she could. But before the could strike at Mirta Gev in order to spite Boba Fett, her limbs immediately grew completely stiff, as she sensed that Edaan was using the Force to immobilize her, and the lightsaber that once belonged to Tahiri Veila was swipped out of her hands through a use of the Force, and it flew to Jaina’s hands, who looked on with a pained expression on her face as she examined the lightsaber, and then hardened her face and viciously said, “You don’t deserve to wield any weapon, Sing, especially one that was wielded by an old friend who had more than made up for her past transgressions before she was brutalized by monsters like you and Daala.”

“I hope that the One Sith and Darth Krayt make each of you suffer a long, slow, and very painful death!” Aurra viciously said.

Right after she said these hateful words, she was hit by two stun beams, one each from Mirta and Boba. “Well, at least we know who and what we’re up against.” Boba grimly said as he put a blaster bold in Aurra’s head, shocking everyone present except for Mirta and Sabine.

“Fett, what in the blazes do you think you’re doing?!” Corran said, aghast at the murder of a valuable prisoner, even if it was just a vile criminal like Aurra Sing.

“Sing’s escaped so many prisons, has so many contacts in the galactic underworld, and has killed too many people, Jedi and regular people, to be allowed a chance to escape again.” Boba said without any remorse.

“Well, it’s too late to take it back, and at least we’ve got Daala, so let’s call our teams back to the ships, and get our _shebs_ out of here before this ship explodes.” Edaan said, hoping to diffuse the tension between the Jedi Master and Mandalore before it boiled over into a full-scale battle between the Mandalorians and Jedi and their allies.

“Agreed.” Mirta said, eager to put this matter to rest, as time was of the essence in order to escape.

“Alright. The nine of us, including Daala and Sabine, will go down the turbolift first, while Sabine’s men destroy the consoles and make sure that no one can stop the _Chimaera_ ’s self-destruction and assault on the Neo Death Watch’s fleet.” Edaan then said before turning to the aging multi-colored Mandalorian and asked, “Is that all right with you, Commander Wren? Oh, and I’m sorry for throwing a tirade at you about your loyalties.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ve been called worse, and there’s no way that you could have known about my loyalties, as only _Mand’alor_ and Beviin knew of my true loyalties. Also, as I’m sure that a Jedi as knowledgeable as you are, you should know it’s not the first time that I took orders from a Jedi, and I doubt that it will be the last.” Sabine nonchalantly said as she and Robonino came forward while dragging an unconscious Daala with them.

 _Meanwhile, Outside the_ Chimaera _, In Space_

Nash Windrider was in, as the Hutts and similar reprobates would say, deep _poodoo_ , as both his main stabilizers and shield generator were damaged, the backup stabilizers were failing due to intense combat stress, and he only had two proton torpedoes left in his arsenal. But, that didn’t mean that he was going to surrender to an enemy, especially a Jedi lover like Syal Antilles. If needed, he would go down fighting for a righteous cause, as he only had two other members of his fighter squadron left, while Syal and her Rogue Sqaudron had eight fighters remaining.

“All right. All fighters, form up on- NO!” Nash shouted as he saw his remaining wingmates be blasted apart by laser cannons.

“ _Wing Commander Windrider. This is Rogue Leader. Your fighter squadron is destroyed, and you’re the only enemy left. If you surrender now, you will be given a fair trial._ ” Said the strong and firm voice of Syal Antilles through the TIE Defender’s comms.

“A fair trial?” Nash whispered, before laughing like a madman into the comms. After thirty seconds, his laughter died down, and he continued, saying, “You mean an execution, just like you butchered all of the men and women under my command! I will die before surrender!”

“ _Very well._ ” Syal said, her voice full of regret, and she closed the comm channel.

 _Arrogant bastards._ Nash viciously thought as he readied his TIE Defender for one final battle.

_Meanwhile, on the Surface of Mandalore, On the Outskirts of Kyrimorut_

“All right. Is everyone in position?” Goran Beviin asked into the comlink that was linked to every team stationed outside of Kyrimorut as Sintas Vel, Barratk’l, and Seha Dorvald looked over their weapons and equipment before they went into battle.

As soon as those words were uttered, a string of twenty “Affirmatives” were said by each team that was prepared to engage the Neo Death Watch forces that almost completely controlled the city.

“All right. All teams, commence attack!” Goran shouted as the four-man team got into their landspeeder and began to drive through a secret passageway underneath the city of Kyrimorut.

 _Concurrently, Onboard the_ Spectre

The two former Black Sun Vigos, the Shi’ido Colovo and the Gen’Dai Durge, were in dire straights at the moment, as their flagship, an Imperial Light Cruiser was experiencing a systems wide failure due to the significant amount of damage it had received due to its frontline position in the Shadow Alliance’s navy.

“Sirs, our turbolasers are failing!” The weapons officer shouted to the two reformed criminals, who uttered a string of curses under their breaths.

“That’s just perfect. Anything else?” Colovo sarcastically said.

“I’m afraid so, sirs. Two _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers and a Nebulon-B Frigate are closing in on our position!” The sensors-officer reported with an undercurrent of fear in his voice.

Durge, realizing that the ship was lost, adopted a grave look on his face, and said in a commanding tone to everyone, “Tell all hands to evacuate the ship, set a course for the three enemy ships that are approaching us, and then activate the ship’s self-destruct sequence.”

Everyone, including Colovo, had a bewildered expression on their faces as they contemplated this news, forcing Durge to bark out, “Unless any of you wish to perish on this ship, I suggest that you get moving!”

With those words uttered, the entire command crew stayed right where they are, prompting Colovo to say, “Forget it, Durge. This command crew is too loyal to you for them to abandon you, and neither am I, for that matter, as we’ve been friends for years, so there’s no way that I’m leaving you now.”

Touched by this display of loyalty, Durge relented, saying, “Very well. But issue an evacuation order for the rest of the crew, as I doubt that they have the same degree of loyalty that all of you share for me.”

The comms-officer quickly typed away at his keyboard, and Durge opened a channel to the crew of the _Spectre_ , where he said, “Crew of the _Spectre_ , the ship is failing, and we’ll be surrounded by enemy forces within ten minutes. All hands, abandon ship!”

With those words said, he motioned for the crewmember in charge of the engines to accelerate towards the two Star Destroyers and one Nebulon-B Frigate that were coming their way, and the comms-officer to open a channel to Azzim Anjilic Atirue.

After thirty seconds, the young Hutt appeared in the holoprojector, and annoyingly said, “ _Can this wait, Durge? I’m in the middle of trying to keep my portion of the fleet from being overwhelmed by Daala’s mad push on our flank._ ”

“I’m afraid not, my friend. The _Spectre_ ’s failing, and we’re going to go out in a blaze of glory. Both Colovo and I won’t be around for the victory celebration, I’m afraid.” Durge regretfully said.

“ _I see… Then, I guess I’ll have to break the news to Edaan and the rest of High Command._ ” Azzim mournfully said.

“Tell Edaan that it was an honor to fight beside him and his righteous cause.” Durge said without a hint of regret in his voice as Azzim closed the holonet channel.

“All right, team. Let’s get to work!” Durge said to the bridge’s crew, causing everyone to roar in approval as they returned to their stations and issue orders to the ship’s computer.

**Well, that ends the eighteenth full chapter of my story, and what a chapter it was. I’m sure most of you figured out that Sabine Wren was loyal to Boba Fett- oops, I mean Mandalore the Protector. Now, I didn’t know what to do about Aurra Sing, but I eventually realized that there was no way that Mandalore the Protector would let a dangerous enemy like Aurra Sing, and besides, the Shadow Alliance now has Daala and Melusar, and Belok Rhal, Black Krrsantan, Nash Windrider, U’Ta Divinian, Fyor Rodan, and Jenna Sauro are still loose, and most of their fates are still up for grabs. And, I am sorry that I didn’t include the two Vigos and Bhixen more in my story, but I had a lot to do in my life, and, as I’ve mentioned several times before, I am an amateur writer. Also, this chapter wraps up the assault on the _Chimaera_ , with only the battles of Syal vs. Nash and Goran vs. Belok still ongoing. Just try to guess what happens next, I dare you, as I don’t think that you’ll get it right. Heck, I’m not even completely sure what will happen, and I’m writing this saga. Oh, minor spoiler alert; the last two stories in my saga will be titled _Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War III: Tribulation_ , and _Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War IV: Omega_. I hope you like them, as, hopefully I will get started on Tribulation within a couple of months. Anyway, May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	20. Chapter 19

**Greetings, Star Wars Expanded Universe lovers! How are you doing on this fine Monday, which is September 19, 2016, in case I take a week or more in writing this chapter? So, when we last left off on _Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon_ , the Shadow Alliance had just captured Natasi Daala and Roly Melusar, Aurra Sing was killed by Boba Fett, Sabine Wren was revealed to have been working for Fett all along, the final stage of the Defense, (or Siege, depending on your point of view) of Mandalore was about to begin, and the fates of Belok Rhal, Nash Windrider, U’Ta Divinian, Fyor Rodan, and Jenna Sauro were about to be revealed. Now, in case anyone has any questions, let me repeat myself; First off, yes, I am including Sabine Wren in the rest of my stories, and I have big plans for her in my future works, as well as the rest of the Lothal Rebels, well, the ones that are still alive in my mind, of course. Also, I have big plans for the remaining characters that survive the Second Mandalorian Civil War in big ways, but I don’t want to give anything away too soon, so I’ll just leave you guys guessing. Now, I plan to have a surprise for the forces of the Shadow Alliance, and it’s a good one. Here’s a hint, it’s not about the Jedi and their two Star Destroyers that should be about seventy-five minutes away from the Mandalore System. Now, onto more mundane matters. Can all of you believe that _Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five_ will end tomorrow? I am so hyped for the final chapter, as I want to see how Batman gets away from a pure evil Superman, Wonder Woman, and Yellow Lantern, as well as what happens to Batwoman and Batgirl ( I want to hope that they live in order to help Batman rebuild the world after Superman’s dethroned, but I fear that the worst will happen). May the Lord watch over Batman, as he’ll need it to get away from those three monsters. That’s right, I went there, because those three people deserve it after Superman butchered so many heroes and civilians, Wonder Woman allowed refugees to slaughter defenseless soldiers, even if they were corrupt, and Hal Jordan murdered Guy Gardner after Guy tried to talk some sense into him. By the way, can you guys believe that I’ve written over eighty-one thousand words in this story in nearly three months?! It’s amazing how you can get so much done when you have a brilliant river of ideas flowing through you. Let’s just hope that all of you guys that read my stories consider this story to be at least a good one, as writing for you guys is one of the reasons that I decided to write the Jedi Odyssey saga. Now, let’s get on with the story. Oh, major SPOILER ALERT! I plan to have at least one major character die in a big battle in this chapter, so just try and guess who it is, I dare you.**

****

_Outside the_ Chimaera

 

The starfighters of both Rogue Leader Syal Antilles and Wing Commander Nash Windrider were running on fumes, as they were both suffering severe systems damage from fighting nonstop since the Battle for Mandalore began. To make matters worse for Syal, Nash was closing in on her for the kill, as, despite her pulling every trick out of her sleeves, Nash was simply a more experienced pilot, and was slowly gaining ground against her. And, she couldn’t call for help from her surviving squad mates, as her ship’s comms were damaged, and her R9 droid, R9-B2, also known as Gate, named that in honor of her father’s R5 droid, was struggling to keep her X-Wing’s systems from falling apart under her.

 

It was at a moment when Nash had come up from behind Syal, and, before he could finish off the weakened Rogue, his engines were hit from behind from another X-Wing with the Rogue Squadron insignia, causing one to explode, and the other to sputter before coming back online.

 

“Gate, get the comms back online!” Syal shouted into the intercom. The astromech droid frantically worked for thirty seconds until the ship’s communications were back online, and she said, “To which Rogue do I owe a drink for saving my hide from the fire?”

 

“ _You can thank Rogue Two, your XO, as well as the love of your life, for pulling you out from the abyss._ ” Said a strong male voice, that Syal instantly recognized as Bail Kyrell, the son of Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree, who just so happened to be Syal’s fiancé.

 

“ _Did you just say Rogue Two? As in Bail Kyrell, the son of the traitors Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree, who just so happened to be old friends of mine, and who is named after the traitorous Imperial Senator Bail Organa?_ ” said the shocked voice of Nash Windrider.

 

“ _That’s me, now don’t wear my name out. And now, I must respectfully ask you to surrender, or we will be forced to destroy you._ ” Bail pleasantly said.

 

As Bail spoke, Nash’s breaths grew more and more erratic, until he finally let out a bloodcurdling scream, and shouted, “ _NEVER!!! I WILL DIE BEFORE SURRENDERING TO YOU JEDI AND CHAOS LOVERS!!!_ ” With those words spoken, he charged at Syal’s X-Wing, clearly intending to take the two of them out in a kamikaze run.

 

Realizing that time was of the essence, Bail, in the latest model of the X-Wing, Rushed to intercept Nash’s suicidal run, locked on to Nash’s TIE Defender, and launched a wave of proton torpedoes at the enemy fighter, disintegrating it, and killing Nash as he shouted in a systems wide communication, “ _LONG LIVE THE NEO DEATH WATCH!!_ ”

 

“All right. Good work, everyone. Now, let’s head back to the _Megador_ for repairs and refueling, as I have a feeling that this battle isn’t over yet.” Syal said in a commending and commanding tone after taking a few seconds to honor the man that Nash Windrider once was before the First Galactic Empire had corrupted him and turned him into a fanatical and maniacal follower of its intolerant and evil principles.

 

 _Fifteen Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Chimaera

 

As the three teams, minus five Stormtroopers, three Mandalorians, and four Void Jumpers, including their two prisoners, Natasi Daala and Roly Melusar, as well as their newfound allies in the form of Sabine Wren and her twenty-two Mandalorian followers, the data from the ship’s databanks, and Melusar’s personal data files, that had ventured beyond the Chimaera’s hangar bay returned to their respective ships, they found a battered and exhausted Mohgran Val still standing, along with ten of the remaining defenders of the four ships. The Imperial Knight and surviving defenders stood at attention, while narrowly eyeing Sabine, Daala, and Melusar.

 

In response to Mohgran’s glares, Jaina said, “It’s alright, Mohgran. Commander Wren and her men are with us, and they helped us capture Admiral Daala.”

 

“As you say, your majesty.” Mohgran said in an obedient tone, annoying Jaina, as she was getting tired of all of her Knights and subordinates treating her as something that she didn’t want to be. The words, as well as Jaina’s exasperated expression, caused everyone to laugh for a few seconds before calming down.

 

“All right, let’s get off of this death trap before it’s too late.” Edaan said as he sensed approaching enemy forces approaching the hangar. With that, the small army, including their two prisoners and shipload of data, quickly entered their respective ships, while Sabine took Daala into the _Second Chance_ , and Wraith Squadron brought Melusar into the _Rude Awakening_.

 

As the four ships took off, a squad of Stormtroopers and Mandalorians entered the hangar, and began blasting at the escaping ships, though their efforts were in vain, as their shots simply bounced off of the four ships’ defector shields. To make matters worse for the attackers, the Second Chance’s light turbolasers whirled around and started blasting at the enemy soldiers, decimating the Stormtroopers, while the bulk of the Mandalorians simply used their jetpacks to evade the blasts. But, this diversion gave all of the ships time to escape, and make a beeline to the _Megador_ , where Daala would be held until she could be interrogated and put on trial for her crimes against the galaxy.

 

 _One minute later, on board the_ Second Chance

 

“So, this is supposed to be an exact replica of the _Millennium Falcon_.” Sabine idly said to Vua and Robonino as they moved to take a now-conscious Daala to the main hall, where she would be held until the ship arrived at the Super Star Destroyer, where a team of soldiers, handpicked by Supreme Commander Bwua’tu, the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, and the Grey Cadre, would take possession of the Admiral and her personal advisor.

 

“Yep. What do you think of it, Sabine?” Robonino pleasantly asked as the four of them arrived in the main hall.

 

“Actually, it brings back a lot of pleasant memories, back when I was a member of the early rebellion against the First Galactic Empire, and I lived in a Corellian Engineering Corporation VCX-100 light freighter, better known as the _Ghost_.” Sabine said before she adopted a sad look on her face, before continuing, longingly saying, “Those were better times, back when the enemy was simple, and we had all of your friends and family by our side as we fought against Palpatine, Vader, their Inquisitors, and whole lot of bucket heads.”

 

“What… what happened to the rest of the Lothal Rebels, if I may ask?” Vua hesitatingly said, and Sabine quickly turned to face him.

 

“Why do you want to know that, _vongese_?” Sabine said with a great deal of venom in her tone as she spoke to him.

 

“I take it that you don’t like me and the rest of my species, Commander Wren.” Vua rhetorically said as she continued to glare daggers at him.

 

“Your kind killed my third family, the one I formed with another Mandalorian and his family after the First Galactic Civil War ended, during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and the rest of my people had to scrape by for credits in order to survive the years following Mandalore’s devastation before _Mand’alor_ finally stepped up to be leader.” She viciously said.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that, Commander Wren, but I was a Shamed One during the Invasion, and it was only because of Edaan that I’m here, otherwise I’d still be a slave to my own vengeance, as Bothans who still followed Ar’krai, the genocidal policy of eradicating an entire species, butchered my wife. It was Edaan who showed me the path of justice, not revenge.” Vua said with a great deal of sympathy in his voice.

 

Sabine’s expression softened at the words that Vua spoke, she spoke in a kinder tone, saying, “Yeah, I know what it’s like for a Jedi to have to save you from yourself when you want vengeance. Kanan Jarrus, and old friend of mine, and one of the last of the Second Jedi Purge survivors, helped me conquer my inner demons when another Mandalorian, Fenn Rau, injured Hera Syndulla, Kanan’s lover, and who also happened to be like a second mother to me.

 

“So, it seems that we both have a few things in common, Commander Wren.” Vua said.

 

“Just call me by my first name, Sabine.” Sabine said as she went to join Robonino in guarding Daala, with Vua right behind her. Once the two of them arrived at the main hall of the modified Corellian YT-1300 Light Freighter, Sabine asked, “Has the prisoner been searched of any weapons, or anything that could facilitate her escape?”

 

“Of course. What do I look like, an idiot? No, don’t answer that. Anyway, I found a vibro knife, a blaster pistol, and some knock-out spray. Oh, and I found a few hundred credits on her person, so I took them.” Robonino said before bellowing at stealing money from a despot like Daala, which earned a chuckle from Sabine, who was growing to like this Patrolian bounty hunter more and more, and simply a raised eyebrow from Vua.

 

Before any more banter or playful exchanges of words could be exchanged, the intercom burst to life, with Adari Thayn Palpatine shouting, “ _Hey, ladies! We’ve got three squads of_ Bes'uliiks _and a squad of X-Wings and TIE Fighters attempting to cut up off, so I could really use those turrets firing right about now!_ ”

 

“I’m on it!” Sabine gleefully said before turning her attention to her two comrades. She then said to Robonino and Vua, “Keep an eye on our prisoner.”

 

“But we have to man our turrets.” Robonino said, with Vua nodding in confirmation.

 

“Edaan can man the other turret, and it’s been decades since I’ve shot at TIE Fighters from a heavily modified freighter like this.” Sabine said as she began to run to the nearest light turbolaser turret.

 

“Robonino only looked to Vua, and then said, “I do not understand Mandalorians.” Vua nodded in agreement, and Sabine shouted, “I heard that!”  


*

 

Sabine was feeling right at home at the moment, sitting in a turret and preparing to fire on TIE Fighters. It reminded her so much of the five years she spent with the crew of the _Ghost_ and the Rebel Alliance. Her musings were interrupted by the loud and determined voice of Adari, who said, “ _I hope that you and Edaan are ready to kill some fighters, Sabine, because we’re about to enter the hurricane!_ ”

 

“I’m always ready, Captain.” Sabine humorously confirmed as she finished activating her turret, and started blasting at TIE Fighters, X-Wings, and _Bes'uliiks_ , killing two of each in the first four minutes.

 

After an additional ten minutes, the remaining enemy fighters were either destroyed or chased away by the _Rude Awakening_ , _Slave I_ , and _Specter_ , as well as Shadow Alliance fighters and capital ships, and the four ships docked in the _Megador_ without any further difficulties. The eight fighters exited the Second Chance, while the remaining members of the strike team exited their ships, plus their two unwilling prisoners, and Edaan, Boba, Corran, Mirta, Armand, and Sabine came forward General Keyan Farlander, who was waiting in the hangar for the delivery of the prisoners.

 

“Ah. Knight Palpatine. Mandalore the Protector. Master Horn. Commadner Gev. Captain Vorn. Judging by your prisoners in stun cuffs, Am I correct to assume that your mission on the _Chimaera_ was a success?” The officer said.

 

“That’s correct, General Farlander.” Edaan courteously said, before motioning towards Sabine, and said, “But were it not for Commander Wren and the courageous men and women under her command, we might not have captured Admiral Daala and Special Force Advisor Melusar, or escaped with our lives. Oh, and you have Sabine and her Vindicator Brigade, her six thousand-man Mandalorian army, for the destruction of ten _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, the sole remaining Mediator-class Battle Cruiser, five MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, a _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer, and the last Dornean gunship, turning the battle in our favor.”

 

General Farlander stared at the young Jedi and elderly Mandalorian with his mouth agape for ten seconds before composing himself and saying, “Then it seems that you have the Shadow Alliance’s eternal gratitude, Commander Wren.”

 

“Thanks. Can I get that in writing? You know, in case any members of my brigade or I get in trouble with the law for hunting any bounties in the future?” Sabine nonchalantly asked.

 

“That’s not unreasonable, Commander Wren, but that’s up to Chief of State Dorvan and the other galactic leaders, I’m afraid.” General Farlander regretfully said.

 

“Ah, that’s okay. I can wait. After all, we’ve still got a civil war to end.” Sabine said, not at all angry at the general for him telling her that she had to rely on bureaucracy in order to get her brigade’s get-out-of-jail card.

 

“Peh.” Daala scoffed with arrogance lacing her voice as she continued to speak saying, “You’ll never win, _Jedi_. Even if you defeat me and the One Sith, you’ll still have to deal with a galaxy full of hatred, revilement, and disgust for you and the rest of your Force-loving kind.”

 

“That’s funny, because, from where we’re standing, we’ve done a good job of removing a lot of the rot that intolerant and fearful people like you bring about.” Edaan said as everyone but Boba nodded at the young Jedi’s words, causing Daala to look at the Mandalore with hope in her eyes.

 

“You see the truth, don’t you, Fett? You realize that the Jedi and the rest of their kind will bring about nothing more than an infinite number of senseless wars, and even more senseless deaths, don’t you?!” Daala said with both hope and desperation in her voice.

 

“There is truth in your words, I won’t deny it.” Boba began to say, causing everyone but Daala and Melusar to look at him with shock in their eyes. But, before anyone could question his sanity, he continued, saying, “But, Edaan is right, well, more than you, anyway. Your intolerance and paranoia caused so much death for my people, just like the bigotry of the Pius Dea Crusades that lasted for over a thousand years, and that resulted in millions, perhaps billions of deaths. And let’s not forget the Yuuzhan Vong and their religious fanaticism that killed trillions of people. And it was the Jedi and their allies that lead the rebuilding of the galaxy after those two horrible periods in out galaxy’s history, and the Jedi and their allies will now help us to rebuild after we deal with the One Sith and their leader, Darth Krayt.”

 

Daala looked on with horror, and, in Melusar’s case, defeat. The admiral then said, “How can you be so naïve?! The Jedi never took an interest in helping your people before, so why in the galaxy would they help you now?!”

 

“I would help the Mandalorians.” Edaan declared, surprising Daala, and pleasing Mirta and Boba, who nodded in approval at Edaan’s promise of aid. “I have great pull with the Hutts and renegade Black Sun forces, as well as Xashsa Xizor’s former followers and the Imperial Mission, and they can bring in supplies and volunteers to help rebuild the Mandalore Sector.”

 

“So would the Jedi Council. The Mandalorians have suffered a great deal over the last few years, and it’s the Jedi Order’s job to help those in need, especially help that is long overdue. I will personally make sure of it.” Corran suddenly said, boosting Boba’s respect of the Jedi Master even higher.

 

“And I, as well as Supreme Commander Bwua’tu, can convince Chief Dorvan and the Galactic Senate to send reparations throughout the Mandalore System in order to help heal the damage that your civil war has caused.” General Farlander said.

 

“Face it, Mother. Your mad schemes are over.” Armand said, his voice full of determination as he glared daggers at his insane mother. “Now, where is my daughter, Tesla?” he growled out.

 

At the mention of her granddaughter’s name, Daala maniacally cackled for a full minute before saying, “Tesla’s safe, beyond the reach of all of you Force-lovers. She’ll learn all she can from my journals and records, and will continue and finish my quest for true equality in the galaxy.”

 

“I wouldn’t count on it, _Grandmother_!” Said a strong female voice that caused Daala to jerk around, and see the beyond irate face of a blonde-haired woman, who was likely twenty-years old, and had the same green-colored eyes of Daala.

 

“Tesla… WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Daala shouted in rage and horror at seeing that her granddaughter had disobeyed her instructions.

 

“I came here to find out what was really going on in the Mandalore System after I heard Edaan’s address to the Galactic Senate. I arrived in the system two hours ago, and arrived on the _Megador_ with the rest of my crew, where General Farlander was kind enough to fill me in on all of how far you were willing to go in order to achieve your demented goals.” Tesla angrily said, causing Daala to jerk back as if she was slapped by her granddaughter.

 

“Tesla, I did all of this for you and all of the ordinary people!” Daala pleaded with Tesla, who only scoffed at her, causing the admiral to tear up in despair.

 

“Then you’re no better than the Yuuzhan Vong and their intolerance for anything outside of their rigid point of view.” Tesla snapped, which made Daala weep in hopelessness as she was dragged to a solitary confinement facility, where she would be guarded by twenty elite guards from different organizations, as well as Jedi Knight Bhixen, in order to make sure that Daala could not escape from the Super Star Destroyer, or be broken out by any sympathizers within the Shadow Alliance’s ranks.

 

“Well, should we announce that we’ve captured Admiral Daala and Commander Melusar, and that we’ve eliminated Aurra Sing and the bulk of her GenoHadaren assassins and Crimson Nova bounty hunters, or do we keep it a secret until the battle’s over?” Edaan asked, hoping to move the conversation along after seeing a megalomaniac cry the whole time that she was in the hangar bay, while Armand and Tesla hugged each other and began talking to each other while everyone but Edaan and Boba watched.

 

Before anyone could answer, everyone heard the familiar sound of X-Wings filled everyone’s ears, and they turned to see eight X-Wings with the legendary Rogue Squadron symbol on their sides. Syal Antilles and Bail Kyrell were the first two to exit their X-Wings, and they, along with the rest of their squadmates, quickly made their way to the seven leaders, where Syal said, “General Farlander, we’ve successfully eliminated Neo Death Watch Wing Commander Nash Windrider, as well as the rest of his Death Hand Squadron, but our fighters are in need of heavy repairs, and we’ve lost Rogues Five, Seven, Ten, and Twelve while battling Death Hand Squadron.”

 

“Excellent work, Commander Antilles.” General Farlander said with a great deal of relief in his tone, before turning to head to a turbolift in order to inform Supreme Commander Bwua’tu of these developments, and beckoning for Sabine, Boba, Edaan, Corran, and Syal to follow him while the repair crews worked on fixing the twelve ships, and the crewmembers and pilots of each ship left to head to the mess hall for some much-needed food and rest.

 

_Meanwhile, back on the Surface of Mandalore, in the city of Keldabe_

 

Black Krrsantan was not in a good mood, as he and his army were being overwhelmed by the massive enemy reinforcements that were pouring into the city. To make matters worse, the armies that were assaulting the cities of Sundari and Kyrimorut were being undermined by guerilla warfare. What had happened to Admiral Daala and the reinforcements that she had promised? It was then that his holonet communicator went off, causing him to look at the caller ID, and his eyes widened in shock before he roared for the medic that was working on his burns to leave the tent at once. When he was sure that no one was around to overhear him, he activated the holonet communicator, to reveal the two images of two men, a Chagrian and a human, both heavily tattooed, who looked angry at the Wookiee.

 

[ _What do you two want? I’m in the middle of trying to stay alive right now from the Shadow Alliance’s armies, and Admiral Daala has gone missing, so make it quick._ ] He barked out.

 

“ _Admiral Daala has been captured by the Shadow Alliance, along with Commander Melusar, while Aurra Sing and Nash Windrider have been killed in battle, and the Jedi reinforcements will be arriving within the Mandalore System within one hour. The battle is lost. Withdraw your army and the army assaulting Sundari, the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild, and the remaining corporate forces to Korriban, and await further instructions._ ” The human said, getting right to the point.

 

[ _What about Belok Rhal, Lord Snoke? Should I tell him to sound the retreat as well?_ ] Black Krrsantan asked, disappointed by the fact that the Siege of Mandalore was a lost cause, but he was glad that at least he managed to kill many of the Shadow Alliance’s forces, including two Imperial Knights.

 

“ _No. Belok Rhal is a loose cannon, one that we cannot afford to have for the inevitable siege that will occur once the Jedi and their allies break Daala and Melusar._ ” The Chagrian replied, disappointing Black Krrsantan, as he had grown to be good friends with the Mandalorian, but knew that it would be a death sentence to go against these two deadly Sith.

 

[ _Very well, Lord_ _Wyyrlok. I’ll begin to evacuate the two armies, as well as the slavers and corporate forces, at once._ ] The Wookiee said in a defeated tone.

 

“ _Excellent. Report to us and Lady Kitai once you’ve left the system._ ” Darth Snoke said before he and Darth Wyyrlok closed their encrypted holonet channel.

 

After Black Krrsantan exited the tent, he was greeted by the sole surviving GenoHaradan assassin from his squad, who asked, “Commander Krrsantan, what are your orders?”

 

[ _The siege is lost. Order the armies at Keldabe and Sundari to begin evacuating our backup rendezvous point, and have our corporate and slaver allies cover our retreat._ ] Black Krrsantan ordered, causing the assassin to look as if he had stared death in the face.

 

“R-retreat? But, Commander, the battle is still winnable!” The assassin protested.

 

[ _No, my friend. Admiral Daala and Commander Melusar have been captured by the Shadow Alliance, and Wing Commander Melusar and Commander Sing have been killed. Begin the retreat, as we must live to fight another day._ ] The Wookiee mournfully barked out.

 

After sighing in defeat, the assassin gave the order, and he and Black Krrsantan went to the Wookiee’s personal [Appazanna Engineering Works](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Appazanna_Engineering_Works) Auzituck anti-slaver gunship, the _Chuundar’s Legacy_ , named after the Wookiee Slaver Chuundar, who was killed by the amnesiac Jedi Revan and his companion, Zaalbar during the Jedi Civil War, who just so happened to be Chuundar’s brother.

 

 _May Belok die taking out as many of those vile Jedi-lovers as he can._ Black Krrsantan sadly thought as he and his two armies began evacuating the cities of Keldabe and Sundari.

 

**Well, that rounds up yet another exciting chapter of Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon. Now, yes, I did kill off Nash, as he needed to die, and I figured that it would be perfect for the son of the two people that he hated the most to ring him and his madness down. And, I am including a person named Snoke, but I will only include him as a minor to moderate villain, as Darth Krayt and Vestara Khai are the true enemies right now. Oh, and just try and guess who Darths Snoke and Kitai are, as I’m sure that you can figure out their true names. So, tell me what you think, and feel free to use constructive criticism. Speaking of which, have all of you guys heard about the “protests” that are going on in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, due to the death of a Negro man? I tell you, they are disgraceful, as so many of them are just using them as an excuse to satisfy their own selfish agendas. Now, onto more pleasant news. Can you guys believe that the third season of _Star Wars Rebels_ is going to premiere in less than twenty-eight hours? I am both excited and nervous, as I want more stories for the early rebellion, but I don’t want the show to trample all over the Expanded Universe, as, so far, I’ve managed to integrate most of the show into my head canon, as well as integrate a good amount of _The Clone Wars_ into my head canon, with a little tweaking, of course. By the way, have you guys heard that the _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ saga is going to continue in the form of the comic book series, Injustice: Ground Zero? I don’t know about you, but I am beyond excited for it. And I’m glad that at least Batgirl (At least, I hope) and Batman survived Superman’s assault on their base. Oh, and I’m going to start volunteering at a couple of places, and my school load is increasing, so I might not have as much time to write my saga. Just giving you guys, and girls, of course, a heads up. May The Force Be With You All, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Hi, everyone! How are you doing on this fine Saturday, which happens to be September 24, 2016, and is also the day that Season Three of _Star Wars Rebels_ premiers on Disney XD? I am doing fine, as I just saw The Magnificent Seven, and I have to give it four out of five stars. If you want to see what this movie’s about, then I encourage all of you to go see it, as I’m sure that very few of you will be disappointed. Also, I just saw the Season Three premiere of Star Wars Rebels, and it was excellent. I am eager for more, especially with the use of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Maul. Too bad that I can’t use that season, as it will likely contradict the Expanded Universe too much for me to retcon it. Now, on to more important matters. I have just discovered a series of Alternate Universe stories for the Star Wars Expanded Universe that are written by An Origami Fish, and I have a feeling that each story is beyond exceptional. An Origami Fish also gave me some helpful constructive criticism on how to make my stories much better. Here is the Criticism, feel free to look at it and see if An Origami Fish is right, and I need to work on improving my characters: ** “As for your stories I looked at both Escape and Recruitment and a little bit into Shadow War. I love the premise of Grandson Palpatine flying about in the galaxy, especially having Ben Skywalker as his master. Cool idea that has a ton of potential. I was just not seeing much interaction in the way of 'Your last name is Palpatine, *the palpatine* as in the worst mass-murderer in recent history who plunged the galaxy into darkness and killed off the Jedi Palpatine' and any internal struggles as to his lineage. If you cover it later or I missed it, sorry about that. I just would have thought it'd play a larger role in Edaan's character.

 

The main thing that stuck out to me format-wise is that events in both Escape and Recruitment happened reallllllllly fast and often times with little or no explanation. Mostly due to the short chapter lengths, things were just a little too abrupt and the story really never had time to build. Revan and Meetra are brought up with no preface into how they're still around. Qui-Gon is there, yet how does he have a link to Palpatine and how does Palpatine feel about it. I'm sure you have the backstory all planned out in your mind and have detailed thoughts about how the characters should be, but we're readers of words, not minds =). With everything that was happening, with characters that suddenly pop up with little introduction, I got really lost mid-way through Recruitment both in terms of what was happening and then in interest. 

 

In Shadow War things improve somewhat. I saw a parallel between your chapters and how I 'section' off my story. Though each of your chapters are a thousand to two-thousand words long, I could easily imagine combining several of them to form a larger more coherent chapter and thus maintaining the flow of the plot and story. For example, Chapters 1-5 could have been combined as they more or less cover the same plot idea of your story- the arrival on Mandalore and the initial briefing. Chapters 6-11 would be another natural break as the 'We're going after Mirta' discussion and Mirta's POV. 12-the first half of 18 would be the next natural break, the 'first engagement' so to speak where plans start unfolding. If a chapter is short and sweet and it's a one-shot that's one thing. But trying to create a coherent universe with a thousand or two words at a time is extreme difficult. I generally go by the rule that if a chapter is short (below 5k words min), so is my interest since not a whole lot of plot or things vital to the story could be going on in that time. You have great ideas, you just break them into tiny little pieces that make it hard to follow and put back together =).

Hope this helped in some way...Keep up the writing!

An Origami Fish.”

 

**Well, now that you’ve seen the constructive criticism, tell me what you think, as long as it’s in a responsible manner, as any hateful and/or abusive comments will not be tolerated. Now, I estimate that there are at least three chapters in my story that feature the Defense of Mandalore, and each chapter will be quite a doozy, I can promise you that. Anyway, I have another spoiler for you guys: Garazeb Orrelios, better known as “Zeb,” the Lasat member of the Lothal Rebels and early rebellion against the First Galactic Empire, will be included in the remaining two stories. Of course, he will be a minor character in the grand scheme of things, but I have the general outline into what the stories will be about. Hopefully, they will be better than my first two stories, as I admit that I rushed through them with, let’s face it, reckless abandon, as I was, and, let’s face it, still am, an amateur fanfiction writer. Now, on with the story!**

_Meanwhile, on the_ Megador

 

As General Farlander led Sabine Wren, Boba Fett, Edaan Palpatine, Corran Horn, and Syal Antilles to the command bridge of the Super Star Destroyer, Sabine began to converse with Syal on battle stories, and Edaan silently gathered his thoughts as the revelation of the identity of the leader of the hidden Sith order, the One Sith: Darth Krayt.

 

 _But that only leaves us with more questions than answers. How many Sith does Krayt have under his or her command? Where are they based? What role does Vestara Khai have in this SIth order? And just who is Darth Krayt?_ Edaan mused as the turbolift reached the bridge, and the door opened to reveal the stoic faces of Nek Bwua’tu and Venku Skirata staring right at them.

 

“General Farlander, Jedi Palpatine, report.” Bwua’tu said as he glanced at Sabine and her multi-colored armor before refocusing on the other five officials.

 

“Sir! The strike team was successful in its mission, and Admiral Natasi Daala and Commander- I mean, Special Force Advisor Roly Melusar, have been captured, Aurra sing has been killed in battle, the _Chimaera_ is currently attacking several Star Destroyers, and is set to explode within the next thirty minutes.” General Farlander dutifully reported.

 

“Excellent work, all of you, I- wait. I thought that Rayder Sei, his team of assassins, and Wraith Squadron, disabled the turrets.” Bwua’tu confusingly said.

 

“That’s true, Supreme Commander, but my men got them back up and running before they evacuated the Chimaera, and they should be running at half-efficiency.” Sabine modestly said.

 

“And, pardon me for being so blunt, just who are you, Miss…?” Bwua’tu politely asked the female Mandalorian.

 

“This is Sabine Wren, commander of the Vindicator Brigade, an elite six-thousand Mandalorian army that only takes the most dangerous jobs in the galaxy for causes that they believe in. And, if I had to venture a guess, they were working for _Mand’alor_ the entire time, and are responsible for the sudden destruction of the ten _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, the last Mediator-class Battle Cruiser, five MC90 Capital Ship cruisers, a _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer, and the last Dornean gunship that simultaneously exploded, as well as the sudden defection of a wing of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, three _Stathas_ -class freighters, three _Keldabe_ -class battleships, ten heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships, and three _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers.” Venku said with just a small amount of anger in his voice in not being kept in the loop about an ace-in-the-hole.

 

“Sorry, Venku, but _Mand’alor_ and Goran wanted to keep the number of people who knew about our plan to a minimum, because, as the old saying goes, ‘A Secret’s no good if half the galaxy knows.’” Sabine apologetically said.

 

“True enough, and we could use all the help we could get, as we still have twenty traitorous senators, along with the remainder of their sector fleets, as well as the rest of Daala’s Jedi hunters and commanders, to deal with.” Corran said, hoping to move the conversation along.

 

“Very well. But we will come back to this later, Mandalore.” Bwua’tu said as he glared daggers at Boba, before turning his attention to Syal, saying, “And what do you have to report, Commander Antilles?”

 

“Rogue Squadron has succeeded in destroying Death Hand Squadron, as well as the Neo Death Watch’s Wing Commander, Nash Windrider, but we’ve suffered four casualties on our side, and our remaining fighters have suffered extensive damage, so we’re temporarily out of the fight.” Syal replied.

 

“Very good, Commander. I’ll assign my best repair crew to work on the fighters and freighters, as we have a ways to go before the battle is over. In the meantime, get some food and rest. You and your men have more than earned it.” Bwua’tu replied.

 

Syal responded with a crisp salute, and calmly left the bridge to join her men in the mess hall, leaving the seven leaders to themselves.

 

“So, where do you need us next, Supreme Commander?” Edaan said, eager to help hasten the battle’s end.

 

“I need you, Master Horn, Empress Fel, and Mandalore the Protector to begin interrogating Daala for information about the One Sith, and their leader, Darth Krayt.” Bwua’tu firmly said, confusing Edaan.

 

“Forgive me, Supreme Commander, but are you sure that the three of us shouldn’t be on the ground, helping to end the fighting there? Surely your interrogators and Wraith squadron can acquire the information out of Daala and Melusar.” Edaan said, wanting to do his part to end the fighting going on in the system.

 

“I understand you concerns, Edaan, but the fighting is start to die down, as Black Krrsantan and the forces that were invading Keldabe and Sundari have been evacuating the system, and the Czerka, Loronar, Corporate Sector Authority, and Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild forces are breaking off to cover their escape. And we need to know what the One Sith’s plans are, as well as learn whatever we can about this different group of Sith.” Bwua’tu consolingly replied.

 

“Okay… but what about Belok Rhal and his army that’s invading Kyrimorut? And what about the ongoing battle in space?” Edaan asked, changing tactics, but not willing to give up this argument without a fight.

 

“Goran Beviin, Sintas Vel, Masters Barratk’l and Dorvald, and the Grey Cadre are dealing with Belok Rhal as we speak, and Daala’s space navy is in disarray, especially since Daala and Windrider have been taken out of the equation.” Venku said, eager to end this pointless argument.

 

After sighing in defeat, Edaan said, “Very well. If that is how I can best serve the Shadow Alliance, then so be it.”

 

“Excellent!” Bwua’tu said as he clasped his hands together in relief that Edaan was willing to take his orders. “Now, Commander Wren, I need your men to link up with Azzim Anjilic Atirue’s fleet in order to reinforce his position, as former Senators Sauro and Divinian, as well as Fyor Rodan, are attacking his fleet from its left flank, and inflicting heavy casualties.” Bwua’tu said as Edaan, Corran, and Boba left the bridge to get started on interrogating Daala and Melusar.

 

“Roger that, Bwua’tu. Anything else?” Sabine said as she began to type issue orders to her men thorugh her helmet’s comms.

 

“Yes. You can have your men join the army on the ground at Kyrimorut, and reinforce our armies down there. I’ll alert the Grey Cadre to your arrival, of course.” Bwua’tu confirmed with a nod of his head.

 

“Good. In the meantime, I want to join the interrogation team, because I’ve got a personal stake in making Daala crack.” Before Bwua’tu could either protest or inquire as to what Sabine meant, she said, “Don’t worry, I won’t go too far, if that’s what you’re inferring. Oh, and if you’re wondering what my score to settle with Daala is, I’m sorry, but I’ve sworn to first tell Daala that piece of personal information. And, don’t worry about my men. They can get the job done without me.”

 

“Very well, Commander Wren, you may join the interrogation team that will handle Daala.” Bwua’tu consented, realizing that nothing could stop her from taking on this quest of hers.

 

“Thank you, sir. You won’t regret this.” Sabine promised as she walked to the turbolift, which would take her within walking distance of the _Megador_ ’s main detention facility.

 

 _I hope not, Sabine. I hope not._ Bwuatu silently mused as Sabine entered the turbolift.

 

_Meanwhile, On the Surface of Mandalore, In the City of Kyrimorut_

 

Goran Beviin was in the zone as he blasted at one member of Neo Death Watch after another, with Sintas Vel, Barratk’l, and Seha Dorvald right behind him. The four of them were making their way to the center of the city where the ruins of the Shadow Alliance’s command tower were, and, more importantly, where Belok Rhal was sighted within the last hour.

 

 _Oh, I’m coming for you, you_ dar’manda _, and you better hope that one of the others get to you first, or you’ll wish that you were never even born._ Goran viciously thought as he swiped his gauntlet’s blade through the throat of a Twi’lek Mandalorian, making her bleed out within seconds before she died, and blasting the head off of a Farghul member of the Corporate Sector Authority Espos.

 

Goran’s reckless behavior worried Sintas and her Jedi companions, as the Mandalorian was usually a calm, cool, and collected fighter who rarely went berserk.

 

“Goran!” Sintas shouted in order to be heard over all of the fighting that was occurring across the city. It took another cry of his name to get him out of his bloodlust.

 

“What?!?” Goran yelled back, upset that his near one-man decimation of Belok Rhal’s army was distracted due to his comrade.

 

“I’ve just got word from Bwua’tu and Venku. The mission onboard the _Chimaera_ was an overwhelming success, and their secret ally, who, apparently, is Commander Sabine Wren, is sending her six-thousand-man army to reinforce our defenses of the three cities, as well as several squadrons of fighters and bombers to soften the enemy forces up.” Sintas excitedly said, causing Goran’s eyebrows to go up in surprise.

 

“So, Wren finally exited deep-cover and helped take down that _schutta_ , Daala, down. About time.” Goran simply said, shocking all three of his allies.

 

“Wait. You knew about this?!?” Seha said, shocked by the fact that Goran kept a secret of this level from everyone.

 

“Yep. Only _Mand’alor_ and I knew about this mission in order to maximize the chances of success for Sabine and the men and women under her command.” Goran pleasantly said.

 

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Sabine was very loyal to the Rebel Alliance in its early years, and always abided by the _Resol'nare_ throughout her life, not to mention how all of her men followed her over to Daala’s side when she trained each of them personal to obey Jaster Mareel’s Supercommando Codex.” Sintas said as she shook in her head in amazement, still trying to wrap her head around this turn of events, before continuing, saying, “Well, should we hold off on the attack until Commander Wren’s reinforcements arrive?”

 

“No. By the time that those reinforcements arrive, Rhal could have escaped the planet and system, and rebuild the ranks of Neo Death Watch, causing us to go through a Third Mandalorian Civil War, and I don’t know about you, but I do _not_ want to go through any more big wars in my life.” Goran adamantly said before continuing, practically growling out, “I _am_ going after Rhal, alone if I have to, so you can either get on board, or get out of the way.”

 

Realizing that there was no way that the three warriors could dissuade their comrade from this very dangerous course of action, they decided that the least that they could do was make sure that he made it out of this suicidal endeavor alive.

 

“No objections? Good. Now, if there are no further questions, what do you say that we continue plowing through Rhal’s defenses until we get to him?” Goran quickly said, eager to get his hands even bloodier than they already were.

 

“Fine, but we need a plan. We have an army that’s waging a guerilla war for us so we can get to Rhal, and we need to make sure that the lives that are dying as we speak aren’t given in vain.” Seha said, not quite ready to become one with the Force just yet.

 

“I say that we split up into two teams in order to make sure that at least one team gets to Rhal.” Barratk’l said, before continuing, saying, “I’ll go with Goran as Team Alpha, while Sintas and Seha can comprise Team Beta. Team Beta will provide as much chaos and confusion as they can in order for Team Alpha to take Rhal out of the war by, _hopefully_ , capturing him _alive_.” She said “hopefully” and “alive” with emphasis in order to make sure that Goran understood the main objective of the mission.

 

“Don’t worry, I know how to follow directions. I’m not the child of an _aruetii_.” Goran said with a trace of annoyance in his voice as he checked all of his weapons for any corrections that needed to be made before the four warriors split up. After taking a minute to recalibrate his blaster rifle and pistols, he said, “Is everyone ready?”

 

After receiving three confirming nods, Goran pleasantly said, “All right. Well, we’ll see the two of you on the other side.”

 

With those thirteen words said, the two teams split up so that Team Beta could allow Team Alpha to continue with their main objective.

 

 _Meanwhile, Above Mandalore, On the_ Spectre

 

The former Black Sun vigo Colovo was nervously pacing around the bridge of the Imperial Light Cruiser as they followed the two Star Destroyers and Nebulon-B Frigate to an isolated sector of space within the Mandalore System so that the Neo Death Watch forces could board the _Spectre_ and force the renegade Black Sun forces to defect over to their side in order to try and salvage what they could of the battle that was quickly turning against them.

 

As for Durge, he was quietly conversing with the communications officer of the Spectre, instructing her to send a message to his wife and grandchildren, before he turned to put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Be at ease, my friend. We may die, but we will die on our own terms, not on Daala’s or any of her sadistic minions.”

 

“Sir, the commander of the _Odyssey_ is hailing us!” the communications officer said, referring to the lead Imperial _II_ -class Star Destroyer. “It’s… oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” She practically spat out as she looked at the ID of who was hailing them. “It’s Senator Divinian.”

 

“Ugh. Probably trying to get some points in with Daala. Put her through.” Colovo said, the disdain clearly evident in his voice.

 

Moments after he uttered those words, the holographic figure of a portly woman appeared, and that woman smugly said, “ _Ah! You must be the reprobates that deserted Black Sun in order to ally themselves with that degenerate Jedi, Edaan Palpatine._ ”

 

“And you must be that fat, slovenly, and poor excuse for a senator, U’Ta Divinian.” Colovo disgustingly said.

 

 _“If I weren’t a civilized person, I would insult you back._ ” U’Ta retorted, before continuing, saying, “ _So, you and the rest of Black Sun wish to surrender to the Neo Death Watch. What do you have to offer for us and my patron, Admiral Daala?_ ”

 

“Your death, along with the two Star Destroyers and Nebulon-B Frigate that were stupid enough to follow us, which will bring the Shadow Alliance one step closer to victory over the enemies of life itself, you and the Sith.” Durge stoically said, causing U’Ta to burst into laughter, which gave the remaining crew of the _Spectre_ time to activate the ship’s self-destruct on a one minute timer.

 

“ _Oh, you filthy criminals always come up with the best jokes!_ ” U’Ta choked out as she struggled to stop laughing.

 

 _Fifty Seconds._ Durge thought. _May the Force be with our friends in the battles to come._

 

“It’s no joke, _former_ _Senator_.” Colovo said, referring to the former Senator’s title with great disdain, causing her to adopt a look of anger.

 

“ _Now, see here, you filthy criminals! I can order my ships to destroy your pitiful light cruiser without getting a dent on my flagship, and I wouldn’t even bat an eye at the two of your deaths. So, I suggest that you and the forces under your command surrender to me, or you and the men that serve the two of you will be massacred to the man by the Neo Death Watch’s superior fleets._ ” U’Ta warned.

 

“Oh. You mean the fleets that are either being torn apart by the _Chimaera_ , that are deserting the battle in droves, or are being destroyed by our ‘inferior’ fleets?” Colovo mockingly said.

 

 _Thirty-five Seconds._ Durge silently mouthed to Colovo.

 

“ _This is only a minor setback, nothing more._ ” U’Ta said in a tone of denial. “ _Soon enough, Daala will regain control of the Chimeara, and redirect her ship’s efforts to destroying the Shadow Alliance, and that wretched Edaan._ ”

 

“Yeah. Feel free to continue your delusional rantings, while the rest of us in the galaxy stay here, in reality.” Colovo disgustingly said, reviled by the senator’s refusal to see the writing on the wall.

 

 _Twenty Seconds._ Durge mentally said. _May my family forgive me for my sins in life._

 

“ _Excuse me?!? Once the battle’s over, I happen to have a vast sum of power and money coming my way, so, I’m boarding your ship in order to force your ships to join our side._ ” U’Ta incredulously said.

 

“Like I said, feel free to live in a fantasy world while the rest of us live in the real galaxy.” Colovo spitefully said.

 

 _Ten seconds._ Durge mouthed.

 

“ _I grow tired of this. Either allow me on board, or be destroyed._ ” U’Ta menacingly said.

 

“Too late, since, thanks to your babbling, we’re all about to be destroyed by the ship’s self-destruct sequence, which will go off in the next six seconds.” Colovo gloatingly said.

 

After sputtering for two seconds, U’Ta spitefully said, “ _Chaos take you all._ ”

 

“And may it take you as well, Senator.” Colovo said as the self-destruct countdown reached zero, and the Imperial Light Cruiser exploded, taking the _Ulysses_ and the Nebulon-B Frigate, as well as heavily damaging the other Imperial _II_ -class Star Destroyer, which was quickly finished off by Black Sun bombers and fighters that ambushed and destroyed the _Peacemaker_.

 

 _Onboard the_ Megador _, In the Main Detention Center_

 

The shock wave came out of nowhere, and the force of the disturbance caused Edaan to stumble around before hitting a wall and falling to the ground, causing Sabine and Corran to come to him in concern.

 

“Edaan, what’s wrong?” Sabine asked as the elderly Mandalorian got out a medpac for Edaan’s head, which had just gained a huge purple bruise from stumbling into a durasteel wall.

 

“I’m not sure. I felt… a disturbance in the Force. As in… people close to me were just destroyed. I… I think that Colovo and Durge were killed, along with a lot of other people.” Edaan strained to say as the medpack took away the pain from his newly acquired bump.

 

“Those two renegade Black Sun vigos that you managed to convince to defect over to the Shadow Alliance?” Corran asked as he helped Edaan get back up.

 

“Yeah. I considered them my friends and allies.” Edaan said as he reached for his comlink. Activating it, and, after linking it to the _Megador_ ’s bridge, he spoke into it, saying, “This is Jedi Knight Edaan Palpatine, requesting the status of the Imperial Light Cruiser, the _Spectre_ , over.”

 

 _“Roger that, Jedi Palpatine. Stand by._ ” After thirty seconds of typing in the background, the sensors-officer said, “ _I’m sorry to report that the Spectre self-destructed about three minutes ago. But, the ship’s crew managed to escape, and managed to destroy two capital ships, and cripple a third._ ”

 

“And Vigos Colovo and Durge? Did they escape the explosion?” Edaan asked, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

 

“ _No, sir. They stayed onboard, along with the bridge’s crew, in order to make sure that their plan worked._ ” The sensors-officer regretfully said. “ _Wait… According to this, they managed to take out the renegade Galactic Alliance senator, U’Ta Divinian._ ”

 

“Well, at least they went out in a blaze of glory.” Edaan jokingly said as he closed the channel to the bridge, and sighed in defeat, saying, “Why do I feel that this is only the start of the deaths of my friends and loved ones?”

 

“I’m afraid that that’s the price of war, Edaan, and I know that all too well.” Sabine sympathetically said. “But at least they managed to take out one of the prime _hut'uuns_ that reinforced Daala, that’s worth noting.”

 

“Yeah. Too bad that they had to die in the first place.” Edaan humorously said as he and the two other leaders resumed walking to the bridge. Two minutes later, they arrived outside of Daala’s cell to see Boba Fett and Jaina Solo Fel waiting for them.

 

“Are you guys ready? The other team is interrogating Melusar as we speak. We need to begin interrogating Daala right away, as the longer that the One Sith remain hidden, the stronger that they’ll grow, making it even harder to defeat them.” Jaina gravely said.

 

“Yeah, we’re ready. Let’s hope that this works, or we’ll be back to square one again.” Corran said, before the five people were admitted into the large cell that held Daala, who was held behind a bar of durasteel.

 

“Come to beg for my fleet to surrender?” Daala mockingly asked before continuing, saying, “Don’t bother. My fleet will fight on without me, and at least they’ll die with honor, free from the blasted Force.”

 

“Actually, we’re going to make you tell us where the One Sith are, and what we can expect from them once we know where they are.” Edaan said without a trace of humor in his voice. “Now, let’s begin.” He menacingly said.

 

**Well, that’s a wrap! Wow! I wrote this chapter in three days, just in time for the first presidential debate. I don’t know about you, but I am fearful for one of the outcomes that I will not discuss, for fear of getting to deep into many issues, as well as getting kicked off of this site for getting too deep into political issues. May God watch over all of the countries of the world as the United States stands on the precipice of change, either good or bad, depending on your point of view. Anyway, I am hopeful that my writing gets better as we near my last two stories in my six-book saga. I hope that you’re reading this, An Origami Fish and Powerslammer, and I salute you and your brilliant stories. May the Force Be With You All, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	22. Chapter 21

**Hello, all you Star Wars Expanded Universe lovers! How are you doing on a fine Tuesday, September 27, 2016? I’m doing fine, as I just got through a productive class at my community college, and I have some free time, so, I figured that I’d work on this brilliant fanfiction. Okay, guys, I’ve got to be honest with all of you: I am struggling a little bit with one of my community college classes, so I might have to focus a little less on writing my stories, and working on bringing my grade up in said class. So, did you guys watch the first presidential debate last night? If you didn’t, then that’s a shame, because I did, and, I have to say that out of the two candidates, I consider Donald Trump to be the better candidate, though that could just be my very, very deep mistrust of Hillary Clinton talking, as well as my unwavering allegiance to the Republican party. And to think that I didn’t know much about politics two years ago, now I have to say that I’m fairly knowledgeable about a lot of matters these days. But, hey, as the old saying goes, “To each his own.” Now, on to more businesslike news. What are do all of you writers and readers think of my stories so far? I want each of you to be honest, in a responsible manner, of course, like An Origami Fish and Powerslammer have been in their letters to me. Oh, and before I forget, it looks like that I got the episode title of the next episode of _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ wrong, as it is going to be “The Super Shredder” instead of “Darkest Plight.” While I am a little disappointed, I don’t mind too much, as I’m sure that this episode, which, according to Wikipedia, is scheduled to come out on November 6, 2016, will be very dark and action-packed. Now, onto more story-like news: I plan to wrap up the battle within the next two chapters, but I’m not exactly sure how to end it with one big plot element. If I go one way, I might surprise you, but if I go the other way, it’ll be what you expect. Oh, and don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what this plot element is, as I want it to be a big surprise for all of you. Well, with all of this talk out of the way, let’s get on with the story, as I’m sure that all of you are dying for more of what I consider how the Expanded Universe should have gone after _Crucible_ and _Sword of the Jedi_. **

 

_Meanwhile, Back on the Surface of Mandalore, in the City of Kyrimorut_

 

Belok Rhal, Supreme Commander of the Neo Death Watch’s armies, was in a blind and uncontrollable rage as he blasted the Mandaloian that monitored the communications of his army’s forces, as he had just received word that the _Chimaera_ had begun to attack ships on her side, Senator Divinian and her ships were reported destroyed by a single Imperial Light Cruiser, Sabine Wren’s blasted Vindicator Brigade had defected over to the Shadow Alliance’s side, which had been responsible for destroying ten _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, the last surviving Mediator-class Battle Cruiser, five MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, another _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer, the last Dornean gunship, and ten other capital ships, helping to turn the tide back over to the Shadow Alliance’s side, and, to make matters worse, Admiral Daala and Special Force Advisor Melusar had gone missing, while Commander Aurra Sing had been found on the bridge of the _Chimaera_ , shot through the head by a clean blaster bolt. Fleet Commander Tors Remal had done the best that he could to restore order, but it was too late. The Siege of Mandalore was all but lost, and there was nothing that Belok and his army could do to change that. To make matters worse, according to his agents that were scattered throughout the Neo Death Watch’s army, Black Krrsantan, his army that was invading Keldabe, the army that was being beaten back at the domed city of Sundari, and the surviving Czerka Corporation, Corporate Sector Authority, and Loronar Corporation forces were pulling out of the fight and were leaving the system.

 

 _Those_ darjetii _must be consolidating their forces in order to prepare for the inevitable Siege that will occur once those cowardly_ jetiise _find out that the One Sith_ _are located on Korriban._ Belok ferociously thought as he prepared to blast the next Mandalorian that approached him.

 

The Anzati Mandalorian said, “Sir! Goran Beviin and Jedi Master Barratk’l are breaking through our ranks. They’ll be at the command center within fifteen minutes! What do we- aghh!!” She screamed as Belok blasted her in the leg.

 

“If you want to live to fight another day, never speak to me again, you _hut'uun_.” Belok growled out before walking out of his makeshift command center in order to figure out how to escape this quagmire of a siege.

 

 _Can nothing go right for us in our righteous quest?!?_ Belok mentally cursed as he stopped to answer a communication that was coming through from his second-in-command, Son Kryze. “What is it Kryze?!? I’m in a really bad mood right now, and I don’t need anymore bad news on top of more bad news.”

 

“ _Supreme Commander Rhal, our army is being bombarded by several squadrons of fighters, the Shadow Alliance’s army is flanking us at every turn, and our men are surrendering by the hundreds in hopes of a fair trial! We can’t hold out much longer!_ ” Son shouted into Belok’s helmet.

 

After turning off his helmet’s comms and speakers, he cursed and screamed at the _manda_ for abandoning him and his armies for three whole minutes before getting a grip on his wrath, and reactivated his helmet’s comms and speakers, calmly saying, “Kill any forces that attempt to desert, and prepare to order the retreat to Korriban. I have one last matter to take care of before I can join you and the others.”

  
“ _Un-Understood, Supreme Commander._ ” Son brusquely said before closing the channel.

 

With that out of the way, Belok made his way to the cantina, _The Dusty Dancer_ , where his twenty-man team of Supercommandos was holed up, drinking their concerns away into oblivion as the sound of explosions filled the air.

 

“GET UP, YOU MISERABLE MAGGOTS!!” Belok roared as his team scrambled to get to attention.

 

“Whoa, chill out, Rhal. What is this, a formal army?” one male Lasat Mandalorian said, right before he was gutted by Belok, which killed him within twenty seconds.

 

This act petrified the remaining Mandalorians, sobering them up fast, and making them come to attention.

 

“Now that you’re all listening, I have a job for you.” Quickly filling in the nineteen Mandalorians on the situation, he finished by saying, “Aurek Squad will go after Sintas Vel and Jedi Master Seha Dorvald, while Theta Squad will come with me to kill Goran Beviin and Barratk’l, and Delta Squad will go after the Grey Cadre. Any questions?” No one answered Belok, fearful of getting butchered by him. “Good. Now, move out!” With those words said, seven Supercommandos followed Belok, while a squad of six Mandalorians went after Sintas and Seha, and the remaining six got into a _Lambada_ -class Shuttle and went after the Grey Cadre.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

 

“Wait!” Seha said as she and Sintas were rushing away from a band of thirty looters that were from Belok’s division of Neo Death Watch.

 

“What is it, Dorvald?!? In case you didn’t notice, we’re on the run from thirty,” Sintas paused as she took a moment to lob a thermal detonator at six close pursuers, causing them to fly into the air and fall to their deaths, before continuing, saying, “sorry, make that twenty-four raiders that are in hot pursuit!”

 

“I just had a brief vision of the Grey Cadre slaughtered by Mandalorians. I think that they’ll soon be under attack by assassins.” Seha quickly explained, causing Sintas’s eyes to open wide.

 

“What did they look like?” Sintas said in concern.

 

“They each had gold armor on, and the symbol of the original Death Watch on their chestplates. Does that help?”

 

“Oh yes.” Sintas growled out, before continuing, saying, “They’re Belok’s personal team of Supercommandos, and if they’re getting involved, then the Grey Cadre’s in serious trouble.”

 

“Then we have to help them at once!” Seha said.

 

“Hold on, we have a mission of our own to carry out. If we don’t keep up the pressure on Belok’s Mandalorians, they’ll converge on Goran and Barratk’l, Belok will escape the battle, and the civil war will continue!” Sintas protested.

 

“Then I guess that we’ll have to split up. I’ll keep the pressure on the Mandalorians, while you go to help the Grey Cadre.” Seha said in a tone that would brook no argument from Sintas.

 

“Fine.” Sintas said, realizing that arguing with Seha would only give the Neo Death Watch forces more time to get into position. After she contacted Admiral Nantz in order to put the Grey Cadre on alert until she arrived, as well as requested a two-seated A-Wing Starfighter in order to get to the makeshift command center before Belok’s Supercommandos beat her there, she said, “May the Force be with you, Seha.”

 

“And with you, Sintas.” Seha said as the two women split up in order to continue their respective missions.

 

*

 

“Okay. I understand. May the Force be with you, Seha.” Barratk’l said as she closed her holocomm, and turned to Goran, who was finishing off the Chagrian of the Crimson Nova bounty hunter who just so happened to be the last survivor of the twenty-man team that intercepted the two of them three minutes ago.

 

“So, what did Seha have to say?” Goran nonchalantly asked as he wiped the blood and gore off of his crushgauntlets.

 

After wincing at all of the spilt blood that the enemy forces had all over the ground, Barratk’l replied, explaining, “Seha just contacted me to say that Belok has seven of his Supercommandos coming with him to kill us, six after her and Sintas, and six others to assassinate the members of the Grey Cadre. Sintas went to beat the Supercommandos after the Grey Cadre, and Seha’s staying behind in order to keep up the pressure on the remaining Neo Death Watch forces in the area.”

 

“So much for the original plan.” Goran regretfully said, before saying, “I’m guessing that it was Seha’s idea to split up, as Sintas is dedicated to any mission that she goes on?”

 

“Pretty much.” Barratk’l calmly replied as the two leaders resumed their cautious walk through the abandoned alley in between a destroyed string of stores.

 

“Do you think that Seha can defeat six of Belok’s Supercommandos, as they’re Belok’s best fighters in his army?” Goran cautiously asked.

 

“She doesn’t have to beat them all, just outmaneuver them. She’s one of the best infiltrators among the Jedi Order, as she spent years within the Yuuzhan Vong-occupied portions of Coruscant before being recruited into the Jedi by Jacen, and, before you ask, she turned against him after he became Darth Caedus.” Barratk’l replied as she spoke about Seha to Goran.

 

“Hey, you don’t have to convince me of her loyalty, Barratk’l. I looked up the history of all of the Jedi that are here to take down Daala, and she’s got a pretty good service record.” Goran said in order to keep the peace within the two-man team.

 

“Good, as long as… wait.” Barratk’l said as she suddenly ignited her green lightsaber and took up a defensive position.

 

“What is it?” Goran said as he stood back-to-back with Barratk’l and pulled out his blaster pistols and pointed them at a deserted building.

 

“There are eight vengeful presences in the Force about thirty paces to the left.” Barratk’l hesitatingly said.

 

“ _Belok._ ” Goran cursed as he prepared to go after him. But, before he could, Barratk’l held him back with her left arm.

 

“Wait. Going in there blind is just what Rhal wants. We need a plan if we’re going to take him and his men down.” Barratk’l said in her most commanding tone.

 

“Fine. We’ll scout out the area. But, remember. Belok’s _mine_.” Goran growled out.

 

“Okay, but remember, we need Belok alive in order to find out about the Dragon Lord and his Sith order.” Barratk’l said before she released her grip on Belok’s left shoulder pad, leaving a significant dent on said shoulder pad.

 

 _Meanwhile, in Hyperspace, Onbaord the_ Relentless

 

As the Jedi-led fleet prepared to exit hyperspace in the next thirty minutes, Jedi Council members T’ra Saa and Kyp Durron, Jedi Grand Master Kyle Katarn, and Imperial captain Vana Dorja prepared their battle plan for when they would enter the Defense of Mandlaore, which was relatively straightforward, as the two Star Destroyers under Captain Dorja’s command had received regular updates from the Shadow Alliance’s fleet in the Mandalore System. Once the _Relentless_ and _Judicator_ exited hyperspace at the edge of the Mandalore System, they would deploy their StealthX wing and inflict havoc on the remainder of Daala’s fleet, while T’ra Saa would remain on board the _Relentless_ in her cabin, and use the rare Force ability Battle Meditation in order to bolster the resolve of the Shadow Alliance’s forces, as well as take the fight out of the rest of the Neo Death Watch’s surviving armies and fleets. The two Star Destroyers would then join the fleet in orbit above Mandalore, and bombard the invading armies that were outside of Sundari, Keldabe, and Kyrimorut.

 

“Captain Dorja, are the pilots ready to go into battle?” T’ra Saa asked as she prepared to head to her cabin in order to prepare to go into her meditation for the battle.

 

“Of course, Master Saa. All of the fighters are fueled, armed, and ready to inflict some damage on Daala’s fleets.” Captain Dorja replied, her tone revealing just a hint of eagerness to enter the battle.

 

“I take it that you want to do your part in taking Daala and her allies down?” T’ra wryly said, earning a stiff nod from Vana.

 

“Of course, Master Saa. Daala is a stain upon the honor of the Imperial Navy, and she must me expunged before her disease of hatred and bigotry can spread any further than it already has.” Captain Dorja passionately said.

 

“You are a true patriot, Captain Dorja. I have no doubt that your father would be proud of who you’ve become.” T’ra praisingly said, referring to Vana’s father, the original Captain Dorja, who had served the Imperial Navy for many years before passing on.

 

“Thank you, Master Saa. I have no doubt that he would be proud of me and the men under my command.” Vana stoically said before continuing, saying “May the Force be with you, Master Saa.”

 

“And with you, Captain Dorja.” T’ra said as she and her squad of elite Stormtroopers that would serve as her bodyguards exited the bridge and headed to her cabin, where she would prepare to employ the art of Battle Mediation.

 

 _In the Hangar of the_ Relentless

 

“So, Doran, you ready to get back into the thick of things?” Kyp wryly said into his StealthX Fighter as he double-checked the seals on his flight suit on the off chance that he would have to EV said Fighter.

 

“ _A better question is, are you, old friend?_ ” Jedi Master Doran Sarkin-Tainer said as he chuckled in amusement as he checked his fighter’s instuments and munitions.

 

“ _All right, let’s cut the chatter, guys. Our ETA to Mandalore is twenty-eight minutes and seven seconds, and we all need to be at peak efficiency in order to help bring the Second Mandalorian Civil War to a quick and decisive end._ ” Kyle Katarn said without any heat in his voice.

 

“Sir, yes sir.” Kyp mockingly said as he finished closing the canopy on his StealthX. _I hope that Edaan and the others saved some of the fun for us, otherwise, I will be angrier than a Bantha without a Tusken Raider._ he thought with amusement as he finished calibrating the fighter’s proton torpedo launchers.

_Five Minutes Later, Near Kyrimorut, Mandalore_

Sintas Vel thanked the pilot of the two-seated A-Wing Starfighter for swiftly getting her to the makeshift command center of the Grey Cadre, got out of the starfighter, and bolted to the tent at the center of the camp, where the active members of the Grey Cadre, General Etahn A’baht, Admirals Firmus Nantz and Admiral Kir Vantai, Senators Releqy A’Kla and Ta’laam Ranth were located.

“Ah, Miss Vel.” Etahn courteously said, before continuing, saying, “You must be here to help us repel Belok Rhal’s personal Supercommandos.” After receiving a confirming nod from the Kiffar woman, he finished, saying, “According to our sensors, a _Lambada_ -class Shuttle will be landing inside the camp in four minutes, so we have little time to prepare for their arrival.”

“Well, why don’t we just blast it out of the sky?!?” Sintas incredulously asked, shocked at seeing that the five leaders have not done anything with this information.

“We tried, Sintas, but the shuttle’s been heavily modified for speed and durability, and evaded and endured everything that we had, even our latest Sienar rocket launchers.” Releqy remorsefully said. “Now we have to prepare for heavy casualties within the camp.”

“The five of you should leave while we still have a little time to prepare.” Sintas insisted, not willing for the morale of the men here to collapse under her watch.

“I’m sorry, Miss Vel, but we will not be leaving, as we would be poor leaders if we left our soldiers to fend for themselves.” Firmus Nantz said without a hint of apology in his voice.

After cursing in _Mando’a_ for five seconds, Sintas said, “Fine. But at least station a guard of elite soldiers while the rest of us to their jobs.”

“Now, _that_ , we can do, Miss Vel.” Kir Vantai assuringly said as he and the four other members of the Grey Cadre went to the Sentinel-class Shuttle with a thirty-five-man guard of elite Stormtroopers of the Five-Hundred-and-First Legion, Mandalorians, Taris gang members, and Falleen warriors.

 _Why must leaders be so thick-headed when they are given good advice?_ Sintas peevishly thought as she went to the medical tent, which was guarded by two squads of Rodian warriors and bounty hunters, where one of Edaan Palpatine’s companions, the Iskalloni medic, Jarael Chantique, was tending to Galactic Alliance Senators Ponc Gavrisom and Janek the White, and Galactic Alliance Commodore Turk Brand, who looked to be on the mend from their battlefield injuries.

“I assume that you’ve heard the news, Jarael?” Sintas said, getting right to the point.

“Of course, Sintas.” Jarael brusquely said as she took off her bloodied gloves and washed them off. After turning around to address the Mandalorian, she asked, “So, how can I help?”

“Can you wield a blaster?” Sintas quickly asked.

“What do you think? Of course I can.” Jarael said, more than a little insulted at the insinuation. “I was a fugitive from the Iskalloni race, in case you had fail to recall this fact.”

“Good, because in two minutes, we’ll be greeted by six angry Supercommandos intent on killing the Grey Cadre, and I need all hands on deck in order to repell and kill them.”

“In that case, let’s move.” Jarael said as she followed Sintas to the makeshift landing zone, where the two woman could see the _Lambada_ -class Shuttle approaching from the distance.

_Meanwhile, Back in Keldabe_

Goran Beviin was on edge, as he was staring right in to the face of a being who was nothing but pure, unrestrained evil: Belok Rhal, a _dar’manda_ , the murderer of Kani Asari, the butcher of Blaudu Sextus, Supreme Commander of the Neo Death Watch’s armies, and, most importantly to Goran, the murderer of his husband, Medrit Vasur, a Mandalorian blacksmith who was vital to the restoration of society of the Mandalorians as a whole before this cursed civil war. He quietly whispered to Barratk’l “ _Do nothing to Belok. He’s mine._ ” Understanding Goran’s desire to avenge a loved one, Barratk’l nodded and kept her lightsaber in her right hand, unlit, but ready to attack Belok’s bodyguards at a moment’s notice.

“So, one of the Jedi-lovers brought a little protection. How cute.” Belok sneered as he held his hands close to his blaster pistols.

“And the gang leader wearing my people’s armor brought along some thugs to even the odds. How charming.” Goran retorted before continuing, saying, “This is for Medrit and all of the good people that you and you’re kind have slaughtered.” And with that, all hell broke loose.

**And, that ends the second-to-last chapter of the Defense of Mandalore. So, tell me what you think in honest reviews. I would appreciate it. And, tell me if there’s anything that you would like to be included in my stories, and I will try to incorporate them if I can. Oh, and I plan to make this next chapter a big one, as I want to wrap up the Defense of Mandalore in the next chapter so that I don’t get too bogged down in this civil war, which is small in the grand scheme of things, given what we know about the Sith and their plans, which I will elaborate on in later chapters. So, Star Wars Rebels is off to a good start with its third season. I am eager for the next episode, “The Holocrons of Fate.” Now, if only I could incorporate the bulk of this season into my stories. Oh, well. That’s often the way the cookie crumbles. By the way, can you believe that I’ve written over ninety-four-thousand words in this story, and I still have a ways to go before this story is completed? Anyway, I have been enjoying An Origami Fish’s stories, and I recommend them to all of the Star Wars Expanded Universe fans out there. But, I have to warn you, they’re very long. And, I bought the latest Star Wars comic that came out this Wednesday September 28, 2016, and it was enjoyable. I can’t wait for October 12, when two big Star Wars comics are released. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Greetings, all of you _Star Wars_ (Emphasis on the “ _Wars_ ” part) lovers! How are you doing on this fine Friday, which happens to be September 30, 2016? I am fine, as I just got done with working at a local help center in near the city, and boy, am I tired. But, fear not, I am going to power through in order to provide you people with the last glorious chapter that involves the Defense of Mandalore. I have a feeling that I will make this chapter up to ten thousand words long, if I am lucky, that is, as my chapters tend to be shorter than the chapters of writers such as An Origami Fish, Powerslammer, The Incredible Muffin, and DaWitcher. But, I try to, at the very least, make my stories have at least half of the quality of their stories. By the way, before I forget, DaWitcher posted his twenty-second chapter of _The Witcher: My Heart Will Always Remember You_ , and I read it, and let’s just say that there’s a very shocking surprise in that chapter, and I will not tel you what said surprise is, as I do not desire to give away anything for any lovers of DaWitcher’s story that have not yet read his work, as well as people who might disagree with me on certain matters which I will not discuss. So, who here is excited for _Injustice: Ground Zero_ , which comes out online in four days? I am, and will go to the comic book store each day that each issue comes out at my local comic book store, as I refuse to wait for the graphic novels of the series, since those take about a year to come out. Oh, before I forget, after I collect _Star Wars: Annual #2_ , _Darth Vader #25_ , _Han Solo #5_ , and _Star Wars #25_ , I will stop buying Star Wars comics, as I will wait for the graphic novel versions of each series in order buy them online so I can save money, not only on comics, but on gas as well. Speaking of comics, are you guys both eager and apprehensive about the new Star Wars comic book series that is being released in December, because I certainly am both of those things? I guess that we will have to wait and see if this turns out to be a series that I can collect and integrate into the original Expanded Universe. Well, with all of this small talk out of the way, let’s get on with the story, as I’m sure that each of you good people are eager for the Second Mandalorian Civil War to come to an end. **

_Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Chimaera _, In Space Within the Mandalore_

Comander Tors Remal, acting leader of the Neo Death Watch fleet, due to the kidnapping of Natasi Daala, the Neo Death Watch’s true leader, was irate beyond belief, as he and a squadron of Mandalorians were struggling to open the turbolift that led to the bridge of the _Chimaera_ , where someone had committed a hostile takeover of the systems of the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer, whose turbolasers were blasting at adjacent capital ships, destroying three other Neo Death Watch _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers and two Nebulon-B Frigates, antifighter turrets, that were decimating several squadrons of starfighters that drifted too close to the ship, and the ship’s engines and shields, that protected the ship from allied fire.

After three minutes of furiously typing at a datapad, Lenang O'Pali, the reporter that Tors was ordered to keep an eye on by Daala before she was captured, managed to slice through the security that locked down the turbolift, to reveal a bloodbath within the bridge: Over fifty corpses, including the body of one of Daala’s personal Jedi hunters, Aurra Sing, who had suffered a blaster bolt through the head, killing her instantly.

“Lenang, slice into the Chimaera’s weapons systems and try to get them offline! Odie, get into the Chimaera’s security cameras to find out what happened here!” Tors ordered as both men immediately went to follow said orders.

A minute later, Lenang hesitatingly said, with fear lacing his voice, “Uh… sir, y-you should c-come see this.”

Exasperated that his reflection was interrupted, Tors briskly walked towards Lenang, and said, “What is it, O’Pali?”

“Look!” Lenang shouted as he pointed to a timer that was counting down.

Tors, tired of playing games, looked down, and saw the following words: **Self-Destruct Sequence in 00:00:30. Blast radius will be two kilometers. Have a nice day.**

Tors, horrified as his eyes bulged out at the realization that he and his men had walked into a trap, numbly said, “Can you stop it?”

“No, Commander. There’s just simply not enough time, and we’re too close to three Star Destroyers, a MC90 Capital Ship Cruiser, and an Endurance-class Fleet carrier, so they’ll be caught within the blast radius.”

“I see.” Tors said as the countdown reached twenty seconds.

“Commander Tors Remal, it’s been an honor to be on this ship.” Lenang solemnly said as he stood up and saluted Tors.

“Thank you, Lenang O’Pali.” Tors said as he saluted back as the timer reached fifteen seconds.

*

With those final words said, the two men watched the other technicians diligently work in obliviousness as the last fifteen seconds of the _Chimaera_ ’s existence. As soon as the countdown reached zero, a bright light enveloped the bridge of the _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyer, quickly consumed the entire ship, and, thanks to the ship’s latest reactor core, the blast enveloped the nearby three _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, one MC90 Capital Ship Cruiser, and _Endurance_ -class Fleet carrier, further crippling Daala’s beleaguered navy. Right after, the Jedi arrived into the fray, unleashing even more havoc into Daala’s forces. In addition, without the flagship of the leader of Neo Death Watch, Daala’s navy quickly fell into disarray, and several portions of her fleet either self-destructed, in the case of renegade Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harford, were taken over by the weary forces that wanted to admit defeat and live, in the case of Fyor Rodan, Jenna Sauro, and their fellow politicians, or fled in the case of several Mandalorian fighters and frigates. Within an hour, the space portion of the Defense of Mandalore was over, with the Shadow Alliance victorious.

_Five Minute Earlier, On the Surface of Mandalore, In the City of Kyrimorut_

Goran Beviin and Barratk’l were exhausted beyond belief, as despite taking down four of Belok’s Supercommandos, and cutting off Belok’s left arm, the remaining three Supercommandos had the Mandalorian and Jedi beaten and down on the ground.

 _And to think, this battle started out so well._ Goran sadly, remembering how the skirmish began an hour ago, with him and Barratk’l working in perfect synch, as the two of them managed to survive each of Belok’s traps, such as landmines, automatic E-Web turrets, probe droids, and collapsing buildings that Belok and his men had somehow loaded with explosives, and, in the process, killing four of Belok’s men, as well as wounding the man by cutting it off with a Mandalorian sword, a _beskad_ , which had caused large amounts of bleeding from the renegade Mandalorian before the bleeding was stopped by one of Belok’s surviving men, which greatly pleased and upset Goran, as he wished that Belok would just die already.

“So, Beviin, you might have won the war, but at least I’m going to take out Fett’s fixer, and a Jedi Council Member as a bonus.” Belok gloatingly said as he used his remaining hand to aim his blaster pistol at Barratk’l.

“You might kill us, Belok, but you won’t get away with it. The galaxy will get justice for our deaths, just as it now has justice for all off the good people that you and your men have slaughtered.” Barratk’l’s passionately said as one of Belok’s men prepared to execute the Yuzzem Jedi Master.

“Perhaps.” Belok nonchalantly said. “But at least I’ll still be alive while you’re one with the Force.” He then turned to the Zabrak woman that held Barratk’l at gunpoint. “Kill her.”

The Zabrak simply nodded in reply, and disabled the safety settings on her blaster, and once again aimed said blaster at the Jedi Council member.

Just before the woman could get a shot off, a well-placed shot from a _Bes'uliik_ with Vindicator Brigade Markings killed the woman, as well as knocked Barratk’l into the air and, in the chaos that followed, she reacquired her lightsaber with a well-timed use of Force Pull, and, after deftly landing on her feet, used the Force to push another man into a pile of rubble, and then pulled down an old building onto the Mandalorian, reducing him to a bloody pulp.

Goran was doing well against his last obstacle before cornering Belok Rhal. He was landing blow after blow on the Kaleesh Mandalorian, before ripping out one of the Kaleesh’s tusks and stabbing him in the throat, causing him to gurgle and bleed abundantly before limply falling to the ground. Seeing that his partner had dispatched the last of Belok’s Supercommandos, he turned to face a aghast Belok, who was struggling to escape the alley, despite all of the rubble that was in front of the renegade Mandalorian.

“Something wrong, _dar’manda_?” Goran growled out as he slowly walked towards the man.

Belok began to panic at the prospect of being tortured and then killed by a Fett loyalist, so he pulled out his last blaster pistol and aimed it at his head.

Goran, realizing what was about to happen, activated his whipcord, and launched it at the suicidal man, causing him to shoot himself in the foot before being grabbed by Goran, who punched Belok in the jaw, the force of said punch knocking out several of Belok’s teeth, and knocked him out cold. Goran realized that he now stood at a precipice: he could either avenge Medrit’s brutal death by repaying Belok’s savagery in kind, or, he could take the high road and spare Belok, who would likely spend months in a prison, where he would be interrogated, tried for crimes against life itself by bureaucrats and politicians, and then executed by a firing squad.

Barratk’l knew how close Goran was to the edge of the abyss that was the Dark Side, so she said nothing to him, instead deciding to inform Supreme Commander Bwua’tu that Belok Rhal was now captured and incapacitated, and to request a shuttle and medic for the two warriors.

After an internal struggle that seemed to last for eternity, Goran realized what he needed to do. Kneeling down to face the unconscious Belok, he growled out, “You kill, massacre, and hate without mercy, but I am not like you. In the name of the Mandalorians and Shadow Alliance, you are under arrest, _dar’manda_.” Working to rip off Belok’s armor and hidden weapons, he was soon assisted by the Yuzzem Jedi master, who said, “You did a good job, Goran. You just went up against the toughest opponent anyone could ever fight: you and your inner demons, and you just came up on top. You should feel very proud about yourself.”

“Yeah.” Goran despondently said, before both people heard a large explosion, and look up into space to see a series of explosions dot the sky. Barratk’l suddenly looked like she had a heart attack as she stumbled over and fell on a pile up rubble, saying “Ouch.” in the process.

“What’s wrong?” Goran said in concern as he cuffed Belok’s wrists with the latest stun cuffs.

“I… just felt a massive void in the Force be created above Mandalore.” Barratk’l achingly said as she struggled to get her bearings in order. “Do you have any ideas as to what it could be, Goran?”

“Well, according to the chatter going around in the Shadow Alliance’s communication network, the Chimaera was just destroyed, along with three _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, one MC90 Capital Ship Cruiser, and an _Endurance_ -class Fleet carrier. Perhaps the disturbance that you felt was all of those deaths at once.” Goran helpfully explained as he kept a wary eye on Belok.

“No, it was like… feeling all of the deaths of so many Force-sensitives at once.” Barratk’l replied.

“Then… maybe it was all of Melusar’s experiments being destroyed onboard the Chimaera, as that was where his secret lab was located.” Goran said.

“Yes… Yes that must be it.” Barratk’l said, relieved that none of Melusar’s weapons would ever be used against the innocent, or that he and Daala could ever threaten anyone else ever again. “Wait, how are Seha and Sintas doing?” she suddenly asked.

“Good question.” Goran said as he then said into his helmet’s comms, “Seha, Sintas, status update.”

“ _I’m alright._ ” Seha said into the comms. “ _It took me a while to deal with the last two of Belok’s Supercommandos, as they were master trackers and hunters, but I finally finished them off five minutes ago._ ”

“ _Same here, Goran. The camp didn’t have that many troops defending it, but we managed to coordinate well enough to push them back, capture three of the Supercommandos, as well as their shuttle, which is a beauty, by the way, and kill the rest of Belok’s assassins. No members of the Grey Cadre were killed, which was a stroke of luck on our part._ ”

“All right. Excellent work, all of you. Master Barratk’l and I have Belok Rhal alive and in custody, and are awaiting a shuttle in order to take him onto the _Megador_.”

“ _You didn’t kill him?!? Wow, Goran, I’m impressed. I thought for sure that you would have gutted him alive for killing your husband._ ” Sintas said, her tone full of pride for Goran for being above his nemesis.

“Well, I guess that you all can blame Edaan and his Jedi for softening me.” Goran said, mock-offended at Sintas’s remark.

“ _Yeah, yeah, softy._ ” Sintas remarked, causing Goran to scrunch his face and pinch his nose in annoyance.

“Ahem. Not to break up this good conversation, but don’t we have a civil war to end?” Barratk’l hesitatingly asked, eager to get this conversation rolling back on track.

“Fine.” Goran said, opening a channel to the _Megador_. “This is Goran Beviin, requesting an update on the battle in space, as well as on the ground, over.”

“ _Roger that, Goran. The battle in space has ended, as the surviving Neo Death Watch forces have either surrendered, self-destructed, or fled the system. And the last of Belok Rhal’s ground forces have surrendered to our armies, while Black Krrsantan’s army, as well as the army that was invading Sundari, has fled the system along with their corporate and slaver allies. As of now, we’ve won the Battle for Mandalore._ ” The _Megador_ ’s communications officer replied.

“That’s good to hear.” Goran said with a great deal of relief, before asking, “Do we know where they’ve fled to?”

“ _Well, according to the navigator’s calculations, there’s an eighty-six percent probability that they fled to the Esstran sector, more specifically, what was once considered Sith Space._ ”

“Sith Space, huh? Well, it won’t be easy to find those renegade forces, as there are over one hundred and twenty worlds within the Stygian Caldera.” Barratk’l said, overhearing the conversation.

“ _Don’t worry, Master Barratk’l, we’ll find them, no matter how long it takes._ ” The communications officer said, full of confidence in his voice.

“I don’t doubt it.” Barratk’l said as the roar of the engines of a _Bantha_ -class assault shuttle started to be heard in the background. With that said, Goran closed the communication channel, and held Belok by his legs, and Barratk’l moved to grab him by his underarms. Within the next three minutes, the two warriors had Belok in custody, and the assault shuttle quickly made its way to the Megador, where Barratk’l and Goran would give their report to Supreme Commander Bwua’tu and Venku Skirata.

 _Two Hours Later, Onboard the_ Megador _, Main Detention Level_

It took about twelve hours, but the Defense of Mandalore was over, and the Shadow Alliance was victorious. Both sides had suffered enormous casualties, with the Neo Death Watch losing to half of a wing of Scimitar assault bombers, one wing of the heavily modified TIE/LN Starfighters, two wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, four wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, and five of Daala’s heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships of the same design that Boba Fett used for a time as the _Slave II_ , while the Shadow Alliance lost ten percent of their fighters, amounting to three wings of starfighters such as TIE Fighters, X-Wings, a wing of Mandalorian fighters of various designs, and various Galactic Alliance ships. In addition, about eighteen percent of her capital ships, which amounted to two Assault Frigates Mark II, one of the _Lancer_ -class Frigates, one _Imperial_ I-class Star Destroyer, and an Imperial Interdictor Cruiser that came with the aging fleet of the renegade Moff Porrack Vansyn, one of Galactic Alliance Security Captain Oric Harfard’s two _Endurqnce_ -class Fleet Carriers, minus its already deployed wing of K-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings each, three of the nine renegade Commenori nine support ships that were under the command of Fyor Rodan, eight Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, a _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, two _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, the Zygerrian Slavers’ Guild’s flagship and three of the guild’s _Gladiator_ -class Star Destroyers, a _Scimitar_ -class frigate, a _Crusader_ -class corvette, two _Scimitar_ -class frigates, four _Crusader_ -class corvettes, two _Assassin_ -class corvettes, five _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, and two of the seven _Keldabe_ -class battleships, were either disabled or destroyed in the fighting, five _Imperial_ II-class Star Destroyers, three Nebulon-B Frigates, one of her two Mediator-class Battle Cruisers, one MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, four of her five _Marauder_ -class Corvettes, two Dornean Gunships, one Bulwark Battlecruiser, two Republic Star Destroyers, one Nebula-class Star Destroyers, one Endurance-class Fleet carrier, twelve Loronar _Strike_ -class Medium Cruisers, the Zygerrian Slaver’s Guild’s flagship, three Gladiator-class Star Destroyers, and four Nebulon-B Frigates, eight Assault Frigates class Mark II, twenty Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruisers, one _Scimitar_ -class frigate, three _Crusader_ -class corvettes, a nine _Assassin_ -class corvettes, a wing of Scimitar assault bombers, three wings of TIE/LN Starfighters that, even from this distance, had heavy armaments that included proton torpedo launchers and heavy laser cannons, two wings of fighters ranging from before the rise of the First Empire to the era of the Second Galactic Civil War, six wings of _Bes’uliik_ Starfighters, one wing of _Kom’rk_ -class fighters/transports, two wings of Vyrhawk fighter-bombers, seven _Stathas_ -class freighters, five _Keldabe_ -class battleships, twenty heavily modified Pursuer-class enforcement ships, twelve _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, twelve _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, the last Mediator-class Battle Cruiser that came with the renegade Galactic Alliance forces, five MC90 Capital Ship cruiser, and another _Nebula_ -class Star Destroyer. In addition, the Neo Death Watch’s armies had suffered forty thousand casualties, and an additional fifteen thousand had fled into Sith Space. In addition, with the desertion of the surviving forces of the Corporate Sector Authority, Czerka and Loronar Corporations, and several Mandalorian ships, the Neo Death had lost approximately two-thirds of its forces.

On the Shadow Alliance’s side, they had suffered a lesser amount of casualties, approximately twenty-three percent of their total forces, but they were still pretty battered. They had lost nine _Imperial II_ -class Star Destroyers, one Imperial Interdictor Cruiser, three Hapan Battle Dragons, one MedStar-class Frigate, one wing of Predators, three wings of various TIE Fighters and Galactic Alliance fighters, two _Galactic_ -class Battle Carriers, five Lancer-class frigates, and five MC90 Capitol Ship cruisers, five Nova-Class battle cruisers, two Beta cruisors, and one wing of X-Wings, ten Gozanti-class Cruisers that came from the Imperial Mission, two _Turbulent_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Vainglorius_ -class cruisers, three _Consular_ -class Cruisers, eight _Carrack_ -class Light Cruisers with external starfighter racks, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, two chelandion-class warships, eight Hutt Batils and Tarradas each, three Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers that belonged to the Hutt Grand Council, a wing of _Bes'uliiks_ , five Keldabe-class cruisers, thirty Firespray Pursuit-class fighters, ten MandalMotors Pursuer-class enforcement ships, one Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser, a Invincible-class Dreadnaught Heavy Cruiser, two Assault Frigates class Mark II, a Republic-class cruiser, and the sole Assassin-class Corvette on the Shadow Alliance’s side, one Star Galleon-class Frigates, two Bothan Assault Cruisers, and ten support ships of various designs, ranging from Star Galleons to Gallofree GR-75 Medium Transports, the latter of which were more colloquially called “Rebel Transports.” In addition, each ship suffered at least some measure of damage, the _Megador_ had lost two-fifths of its weapons, and the _Nossor Ri_ had suffered significant engine damage. Finally, the Shadow Alliance had lost fifteen thousand of its soldiers.

Despite this final victory over the Neo Death Watch, the exhausted forces of the Shadow Alliance, said victory was not complete, as neither Natasi Daala, Roly Melusar, nor Belok Rhal was cracking under intense interrogation, and Edaan, Sabine, Corran, Jaina, and Boba were growing frustrated at the lack of progress.

“Agh!!” Edaan said as he punched the wall outside of Daala’s cell, and as he prepared to punch the wall again, Sabine suddenly grabbed his hand.

Sabine then said, “Edaan, enough! Do you want to give Daala the satisfaction of seeing you snap?”

After cooling down for a few seconds, Edaan viciously said, “No. I want to make her break for all of the suffering that she caused the galaxy.” These seventeen words caused Sabine to look at him like he had grown a second head.

“Wow. And here I thought you were a calm and collected Jedi.” Sabine said in shock.

“Sorry, Sabine. I’m just sick of hearing of Daala’s arrogant superiority, and don’t give off any snide remarks about the Jedi having the same problem, as I’m well aware of mine and the Order’s flaws.” Edaan regretfully said.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t. I know how… angry you can get when provoked enough.” Sabine humorously said.

“Are you referring to my… tirade over the Holonet about three days ago, because that was a bad move on my part?” Edaan hesitatingly asked.

“What else would I be referring to?” Sabine said with a smile as she saw Corran, Jaina, and Boba approach them. “Judging from the grim expressions on each of your faces, am I correct to assume that you weren’t successful in making Melusar crack?” she asked the two veteran fighters.

“Unfortunately, you’re right on the dot, Sabine.” Corran said. “We need a new strategy, as even a combined mental assault on my and Jaina’s front, and a physical interrogation by Boba, was enough to make Melusar spill his guts.”

“Well, we could use a combined mind trick on Daala in order to tell us where the One Sith are located. But, there’s a strong chance that the three of us exerting so much mental pressure on her mind may cause it to snap, as it nearly did to Cad Bane during the Clone War and Sidious’s attempt to create a legion of Force-sensitive spies and acolytes.” Edaan explained.

“I doubt that that would work, as Daala would rather die than give us the information that we need.” Jaina said.

After mulling over their options for ten minutes, as having an interrogator droid get the information out of Daala was unethical, immoral, and illegal, Edaan came up with a new plan, but was reluctant to voice it, as it would skirt the Dark Side, and more than likely be shot down by the other four warriors, especially by Boba Fett and Jaina Solo Fel.

Corran, noticing Edaan’s unease, said, “Edaan, is something wrong?”

“Well… I just came up with a very risky gamble to get the information out of Daala, but I guarantee that none of you will like it.” Edaan nervously replied.

“Well, any plan is better than no plan at all. And anyway, don’t keep us in suspense, Edaan. Tell us what your plan is.” Sabine said.

After gulping, and praying to the Force that no one would kill him, Edaan said, “I want to use the same technique that Darth Ceadus used to try and get information out of Ailyn Vel.”

After hearing those words, all four fighters grew stiff at those words, and Edaan saw Boba clench and unclench his fists.

“Why in the karking galaxy would you come up with such a harebrained scheme?!? And how did you learn that technique? Did Ceadus teach it to you?” Jaina shouted.

“Because I couldn’t come up with anything else, Jaina!” Edaan countered. “Believe me, if I had another plan, I would use it. But the longer we wait, the more time the Sith will have to prepare for our invasion of whatever planet that they’re holed up at. And yes, Ceadus did teach it to me, but I believe that we can use the Light Side to keep Daala alive and mentally intact while I search her mind for the information that we need.”

“Do you really think that things are that desperate, Edaan?” Sabine said without a trace of levity in her tone

“I’ve been working around the clock for about a year in order to prevent another galactic war from breaking out between the Jedi, the Sith, and the rest of the galaxy, as well as save Vestara Khai from her own darkness, Sabine, so I will do almost anything to achieve my goals. I only need a few hours to rest before I go into Daala’s depraved mind, and your word before I attempt the Force probe.”

After contemplating the words that Edaan spoke, Corran said, “Give me until tomorrow to speak with Jaina and Masters Barratk’l, Durron, Korr, Dorvald, Saa, and Grand Master Katarn about your plan. Until then, get some rest. You’ve more than earned it.”

“Thank you, Master Horn.” Edaan gratefully said as he bowed in thanks that he was not being massacred by the others. Fearful that he would soon be stangled by either Jaina of Boba for his insane plan, he brusquely walked to the mess hall where the other members of his crew were currently eating, including his beloved wife, Adari Thayn Palpatine.

*

“Master Horn, forgive me for being so blunt, but are you insane?!?” Jaina practically screamed out as soon as Edaan was out of hearing range.

“Probably.” Corran simply said as he used his personal datapad to contact the other six Jedi Masters about the situation.

“You better have a good reason for this, Master Horn. Otherwise, your pet Jedi is bantha fodder.” Boba menacingly said, with an obvious threat in his tone as he spoke.

“Jaina, Edaan’s plan, while harebrained, and very dangerous, may be the best way to get the information out of Daala and Melusar, _before_ we lose the trail of the One Sith and their minions. And, unlike with Jacen before he became Ceadus, we will be there to rein him in if he goes too far in his probing. And, Boba, while I perfectly understand your hostility to such a plan, I thought that you wanted revenge against Daala and her Sith masters for the chaos for all of the suffering that they caused for you and your people.” Corran explained to both people.

“I hate to admit it, Master Horn, but you make a lot of sense, and that’s what scares me.” Sabine reluctantly said as she contemplated Corran’s words, before continuing, saying, “This type of thing is what caused my former comrade in the Rebel Alliance, Ezra Bridger, to fall to the Dark Side during the Galactic Civil War. And Edaan’s a descendant of Darth Sidious, for karking’s sake! Once Edaan gets a taste of the Dark Side, what’s to stop him from going even further into its depths?”

“I have faith in my friend, Sabine. And you’ve read his files, so you know that his five dead masters won’t allow him to fall without putting up a good fight.” Corran countered.

“Yeah, but three of them can be considered war criminals, and a fourth was a servant of the Rakatan Inifinite Empire before he defected to the Je'daii Order during the First Force War.” Sabine retorted, before relenting, saying, “If you want to do this, fine, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you of the potential consequences.”

“Thank you for your honesty, Sabine.” Corran gratefully said before turning to Boba and Jaina, who still looked skeptical of the idea. “Well, are you two in?”

After taking a minute to consider the idea, Boba said, “If it will get us closer to stopping the Sith, all right. But, I want fifty of our best men guarding Edaan at all times while he probes Daala, Melusar, and Rhal.”

“Done. I’ll even include all of the Jedi masters as the guard in order to make sure that Edaan doesn’t slip to the darkness.” Corran agreed, thankful that Boba was open to reason.

“Okay. Am I the only one who’s still mentally stable in this group of leaders?!?” Jaina incredulously asked.

“Apparently.” Sabine said, who, despite her consent to the plan, was just as skeptical of this idea as Jaina seemed to be.

“Jaina.” Corran said, before continuing, saying, “Calm down. Nothing’s been decided yet. And have a little faith in Edaan. He might surprise you. After all, he brought Mirta Gev back over to our side, so he could pull off another miracle.”

“Okay.” Jaina sarcastically said before continuing, saying, “And I suppose that you think that he can redeem Vestara Khai as well, along with the entire One Sith order?”

“I said miracle, Jaina, not an impossibility.” Corran clarified.

After seeing that no one would budge on their position, Jaina relented, saying, “Fine. I’m in. But I still think that this is a terrible idea.”

“Let’s hope that you’re wrong, Jaina. Otherwise, we’re in even deeper _poodoo_ than we already are.” Corran said as the four leaders left the detention center to inform their comrades of their new plan.

**And, that ends the Defense of Mandalore! Whew! What a doozy to write. And here I thought that this chapter would take at least ten thousand words to write. I guess I was wrong, go figure. Anyway, have you guys heard about Hurricane Matthew that’s ravaging Haiti, and is heading straight for the U.S. coastline? We’d all better pray to God, or whatever religion that you might believe in, that there are as few casualties as possible, and that true relief aid is sent to the afflicted areas, as much of the last relief funds that were sent to Haiti weren’t used for more honorable things. And, don’t worry, this won’t become a political rant, as I’m sure that at least some of you guys out there have different views than me on these matters. Now, on to more pleasant matters. Can you guys believe all of the Star Wars literature that is coming out next week? The young adult novel, _Star Wars: Ahsoka_ , is coming out next Tuesday, October 11, 2016, and I am very excited to see what adventures Ahsoka has after _The Clone Wars_. Too bad that that’s the last Star Wars book that I’ll get for a while, as I can’t integrate any books after that into the original Expanded Universe, which is a shame, as I was originally looking forward to getting the book on Grand Admiral Thrawn. But, in better news, the next day, the two comic books, _Star Wars: Darth Vader #25_ and _Star Wars: Han Solo #4_ , are released, and I plan to get those stories in order to expand my collection. Hey, expand, Expanded Universe. Do you guys get it? (laughs a lot) By the way, can all of you believe that I’ve written over one hundred thousand words in this story in the last one hundred and four days? And to think that I still have a lot more to write in this story alone, because let’s not forget the last two stories in my saga. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	24. Chapter 23

**Well, isn’t this a surprise for me! You’re all back for more of my original stories of the original Star Wars Expanded Universe, with a little of the new canon sprinkled in there to give my story a little extra kick, if you all know what I mean. So, how are each of you lovely fans doing during this difficult time? I am doing fine, and I am moving forward with decent progress in my two courses for the fall semester at my local community college. But, I heard that people off the coastline of North and South Carolina are evacuating their homes in order to avoid the worst of Hurricane Matthew. Let’s take a moment to pray for those whose lives are affected by this horrible and devastating storm. (Five seconds later.) All right, now that we’ve had a moment to pray for the poor souls that are suffering due to the latest hurricane, let’s change the topic. Have all of you guys gotten the latest issue of _Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five_? It was a breath of fresh air to see all of the Justice League members still friends and working together against the forces of evil in their universe. Too bad that the last issue, minus the annual comic, will be much darker, with the betrayal of Catwoman and the death of Batwoman in Issue #20. Anyway, I am so excited for the two Star Wars comics that are coming out next week, _Star Wars: Darth Vader #25_ and _Star Wars: Han Solo #4_ , and I need to make a decent amount of money (ten eleven dollars, to be exact) fast in order to get those two issues. By the way, have any of you guys read An Origami Fish’s stories about the New Jedi Order and Legacy Eras, because they are beyond amazing? In fact, they just might surpass the books and comics of the true Expanded Universe, and that’s saying something, because I beyond intensely love the Expanded Universe, despite its flaws (and, believe me, I know that there are many in existence). By the way, is it just me, or are today’s main entertainment networks, such as Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon, declining in quality of morality and sanity for its shows? Tell me what you think, in a responsible manner, of course, as I will not tolerate any ranting in emails or reviews. One more thing, what do you guys plan on doing next week, as I plan to see _Sully_ with my mother on either Monday or Tuesday, and see _Deepwater Horizon_ with my father on this coming Saturday? One last thing, I will probably not be updating as much for the next few weeks, as the work for one of my classes is just piling on right now. Well, with all of that small talk out of the way, let’s get on with the story! But, I must warn each of you, though, it will probably involve a bit of swearing and other mildly dark things. Just a warning for those of the faint of heart.**

_Day 54 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation. 0030 Hours_

_In the Shogun System, Onboard the_ Megador

“Master Horn, forgive me for being so blunt, but are you out of your karking mind?!?” Kyp Durron aghastly shouted as he processed the news that Corran, Boba, Sabine, and Jaina had told him and the other Jedi masters about Edaan’s gambit to pry all the information about the One Sith and their leader that Admiral Daala, Roly Melusar, and Belok Rhal had on them.

“I have to agree with Master Durron, Master Horn. What possessed you to agree to such a dark course of action?” Jedi Grand Master Kyle Katarn curiously said as he scoldingly looked at Ben in order to rein her in.

“Actually, Masters, I have to agree with Master Horn and Edaan here. We’re running out of time before the Sith come up with another proxy in order to keep us off-balance, and the longer we wait, the more time that they will have to regroup from this latest loss.” Jaden Korr stoically said, surprising everyone, especially his former master, Kyle Katarn.

“I don’t like it.’ T’ra Saa said in her classic serene tone. “Surely we can acquire the information about the One Sith without resulting to such unscrupulous methods. Have any of you considered that Edaan may be at risk for falling to the Dark Side of the Force for suggesting such a risky course of action?”

“Believe me, Master Saa, Sabine and I have asked that same question at least five times since hearing Edaan’s plan.” Jaina angrily said, grateful that someone besides the two women were worried about Edaan’s mental stability. “But, as much as I hate to admit it, Edaan has a point. We need to hit the Sith and their remaining minions hard and fast since they’re no doubt reeling from the defeats that they’ve suffered thanks to Edaan.”

“Look, as much as I hate to admit it, and I _really_ hate to admit it, we have to let Edaan do this. Otherwise, Krayt and his lackeys could get away with all of the destruction that they’ve caused the galaxy, and I know that you guys don’t want that to happen as much as Mand’alor and I don’t.” Sabine reluctantly said.

“So we should just allow this gamble to go on without interference?” Seha incredulously said.

“On the contrary, Seha. Edaan’s agreed to have all of us watch over him in order to pull him back should he drift too close to the Dark Side, and have fifty of our best soldiers keep an eye over him.” Corran explained.

“It’s still risky.” Kyle skeptically said.

“If you have a better idea, Grand Master Katarn, let’s hear it. Otherwise, all we’re left with is Edaan’s plan, and we start in just over six hours.” Corran said.

After failing to come up with an alternative, Kyle said, “Very well Master Horn. The plan has my approval.” But before anyone could question Kyle’s sanity, he continued, saying, “But, the first sign that Edaan is slipping we pull him out. Otherwise, no deal.”

“Deal.” Corran said, just grateful that his longtime friend had agreed to this harebrained scheme.

“I sincerely hope that you know what you’re doing, Master Horn. Otherwise, we’re all going to be in very deep trouble.” T’ra calmly warned as she and the other Jedi Masters began to leave the briefing room where they had their meeting.

“Yeah. So do I.” Corran whispered as he went to his room to contact his wife and family that Daala would soon be brought to justice for her crimes.

 _Six Hours Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance

Edaan was not eager to get forward to the imminent interrogation, as he could easily go down a slippery slope to the Dark Side that he could never return from. That was why he, after getting a full eight hours of sleep alongside his wife after fighting for over nine hours during the Defense of Mandalore, was pacing about in the main hall of the _Second Chance_ , with all of the members of his crew present to see him nervously walk around. And, to said crew, it was getting annoying to see their leader act like a wanted criminal for a major heist that he committed.

“All right, boss. This is ridiculous!” Robonino said, more than a little exasperated that his leader was doing such a poor job of keeping his cool under pressure. “You’re just going inside Daala and two of her lackeys’ brains. What’s the worst that could happen?’ he continued, before realizing that Edaan’s mind could snap upon seeing whatever insanity that had gripped Daala, Melusar, and Belok’s minds.”Actually, forget I said that, as I just realized the worst possible thing that could happen.”

“Yeah, and that’s that I either go insane from whatever darkness is crawling around in their brains, or I fall into the Dark Side out of anger from all of the atrocities that those lunatics have committed.” Edaan said before sighing, and continuing to speak, remorsefully saying, “What was I thinking, coming up with this desperate idea? I might as well declare myself the next Darth Sidious.”

After saying those last two words, Edaan soon found himself on the ground, and rubbing the right side of his face, where his wife had slapped him in an effort to snap him out of his sad reflection.

“Get ahold of yourself, Edaan! You are not the next Darth Sidious! If anything, you’re the next Anakin Solo, with how you care about other people, are a natural leader, and will eventually lead the Jedi Order during a very desperate time!” Adari shouted, hoping to knock some sense back into her husband.

“Yeah, but…” Edaan tried to protest, but realized that he and Anakina actually did have a lot in common, with their relation to Sith Lords of recent memory, and their reckless nature in coming up with desperate plans to save those that were close to them, as well as the galaxy. After sighing in defeat, he said, “You may be right, love, but I’m still nervous about the whole thing. May the Force protect us if this mad plan of mine goes south.”

 _Ten Minutes Later, in the Main Detention Center of the_ Megador

“I am so disappointed in the twenty of you.” Releqy A'Kla said in gentle rebuke to the twenty surviving politicians who survived the Battle for Mandalore.

“Why? Because we didn’t fall in line with the rest of you Jedi-lovers, and saw the truth of Daala’s words?” Fyor Rodan maliciously said as he and his fellow political figures sat in their two-man jail cells.

“No. Because all of you betrayed the people that you were sworn to serve in your lust for revenge and power.” Releqy countered.

“What do you know about us, _Caamasi_?” Jenna Sauro spitefully spat out as she got up from her bed and walked up to the force field that kept her from attacking the forcefully retired senator. ‘You’ve been in carbonite for fifteen years while the rest of us stepped up to run the mess that you and those Force-users created. We had to do something to bring order back to the galaxy, and Admiral Daala was the best way to bring it back to an undeserving public.”

“‘Bring order back to the galaxy’? That’s exactly the excuse that Emperor Palpatine used when he created the First Galactic Empire, and look at all of the death and destruction that his madness caused.” Releqy said with a trace of anger entering her voice as she recalled the memories of her father, Elegos A’Kla, and all of the horrors that so many planets and their people had suffered during the twenty-three year reign of the original Empire.

“That’s because he was a Force-sensitive, and all Force-sensitives are a menace to the galaxy!” Fyor angrily said.

“So you condone the experimentation and butchery of over five thousand innocent men and women, along with twelve Jedi that did nothing but good for the galaxy?!”

‘Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, A’Kla! The same way that sacrifices should have been made during the Yuuzhan Vong War instead of kissing up to the Jedi and their allies! That way, we would have suffered fewer losses to those invaders, and they would have been exterminated like the vermin that they are!” Jenna said with a fanatical gleem in his eyes.

“Really, Rodan? That’s what you think of the Jedi? The same Jedi who saved the galaxy time and time again from internal and external threats? The same Jedi that have protected the Old and New Republics and the Galactic Alliance for over twenty-five thousand years? The Jedi that have bled and died so much in order to protect the citizens of the galaxy for millennia?”

“You mean the Jedi who have gotten us into war after war? The Jedi that deposed legitimate rulers of the galaxy, and interfered in the affairs of local and galactic politics? The same Jedi that are the cause of the Sith and their legions? You disgust me.” Fyor countered, before he spat into the force field.

“The feeling is mutual, Fyor Rodan.” Releqy said with both pity and revulsion in the fact that she could not reach this former senator, or any of the other senators, for that matter.

She then turned to walk away, and saw Edaan Palpatine and the other members of his ship’s crew, along with Mandalorians Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, Venku Skirata, Goran Beviin, and Sabine Wren, Galactic Empress Jaina Solo Fel, Jedi Knight Jaden Korr, Jedi Masters Barratk’l, Kyp Durron, Seha Dorvald, and T’ra Saa, and Jedi Grand Master Kyle Katarn, walk towards where Admiral Daala, Roly Melusar, and Belok Rhal were being held for interrogation.

Suddenly getting a tense feeling in her stomach, Releqy quickly walked in order to catch up to the crowd of warriors.

Sensing the tension that was being emitted from the forcibly retired senator, Edaan turned to face Releqy, and pleasantly said, “Ah, Senator A’Kla. What a surprise. What can I do for you?”

“I was just done talking with the wayward senators, as well as Fyor Rodan, and I saw the twenty of you walking towards the cells of Admiral Daala, Roly Melusar, and Belok Rhal, so I figured that I’d see what’s going on.” Releqy said, before continuing, saying, “And you can just call me Releqy, as I’m technically not a senator anymore.”

“We’re going to interrogate Admiral Daala and her cohorts in order to acquire the location of the One Sith and their leader, Darth Krayt.” Edaan honestly said.

“Okay. But why did you brought all of the Jedi Masters, a highly experienced Jedi Knight, several prominent Mandalorian leaders, and the leader of the Fel Empire along for a simple interrogation?” Releqy innocently said.

“Because I’m going to probe the mind of Admiral Daala by using the same technique that Jacen Solo used against Ailyn Vel during his fall to the Dark Side.” Edaan nervously said as both of his hands uncontrollably fidgeted, causing Releqy to jerk back as if she was violently slapped.

“Edaan! Why in the galaxy would you use such a deplorable Force ability?!?” Releqy vehemently said.

“Because this is the best way to find out where the One Sith and the remainder of the Neo Death Watch forces before they can regroup.” Corran said before continuing to speak, saying, “We’re all here in order to make sure that Edaan doesn’t fall to the Dark Side, as this technique could take him to the edge of it.”

“Does the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, as well as the Jedi Council, know about this plan?” Releqy questioned.

“Yes, and they gave the go-ahead for Edaan’s plan. Believe me, most of them didn’t like it, and I have my own doubts about this gambit, but we all recognize the dangers of letting the Sith run amuck for much longer.” Kyle said.

“And you’re all okay with this?” Releqy said, trying one last gambit in order to talk some sense into the other Force-sensitives and leaders.

“No, Releqy, we’re not.” Sabine stoically said. “But if we don’t press the advantage that we have while we can, we could kiss our freedoms and lives goodbye, since none of us are friends of the Sith and their lackeys.”

“I see.” Releqy said in defeat, seeing that she could not stop Edaan from carrying out his mad plan. “Then I am coming with you in order to make sure that Edaan doesn’t do anything inhumane to the prisoners.” She said with all of the authority that she could muster.

Sensing the strong spirit that existed within the Caamasi politician, Edaan said in acquiesce, “Very well, Senator. You are free to observe, but do not interfere with the interrogation, as I need complete concentration in order to get through Daala’s mental defences.”

“Thank you for understanding, Jedi Palpatine.” Releqy gratefully said as the twenty-one of them resumed walking to Daala, Melusar, and Belok Rhal’s cells.

_Five Minutes Later, in The Maximum Security Wing of the Prison_

Admiral Daala was in a very foul mood as she awaited the next round of interrogation by those accursed Jedi and their lackeys. She just wished that they would ship her off for their rigged trial, where she would be either locked away for the rest of her life, or summarily executed via firing squad. And, judging from the stern looks on the faces of Roly Melusar and Belok Rhal, they were likely thinking the same line of thoughts that she was having.

It was at that moment that the doors opened to their two cells, and who came in enraged Daala beyond belief: Edaan Palpatine, Boba Fett, Mirta Gev, Venku Skirata, Goran Beviin, and Sabine Wren, Jaina Solo Fel, Jaden Korr, Barratk’l, Kyp Durron, Seha Dorvald, T’ra Saa, Kyle Katarn, and Releqy A’Kla.

“Come to gloat over your temporary victory over your enemies?” Daala sneered before continuing, saying, “Or have you come down here to go through another pointless interrogation, since I’m hoping that you Jedi and Sith take each other out and leave us normal people in peace?”

“Actually, we’re all hoping that you’ll come clean about your former patrons before I’m forced to resort to more… unsavory means of getting what we want.” Edaan said with a hint of a threat as he mentally prepared his psyche for the journey into Daala’s warped and twisted mind.

“‘Unsavory means?’ Like what, using another combined mind trick on me like you, Corran, and Jaina tried last night? Don’t make me laugh, Edaan.” Daala smugly said.

With those words said, Sabine, Mirta, and Venku moved quicker than the naked eye could see, and the two female Mandalorians held Daala down by her shoulders, while Venku punched Daala in the stomach in order to cause her to fall to the ground as she violently coughed and spat out several ounces of blood.

“All right. The nice way failed, Edaan. Now we go with the original plan.” Mirta said as she kept a wary eye on her captive.

“Okay. Keep her restrained at all times. It’ll be difficult enough for me to sift through the mess that’s Daala’s mind without her trying to strangle me.” Edaan warned the three Mandalorians.

“We’re not amateurs, Edaan. We can handle ourselves against one crazy _di’kut_.” Sabine reminded the young Jedi.

“I know. I’m just giving you guys a heads-up.” After getting into a kneeling position, as well as taking a deep breath to clear his mind of all thoughts, he said, “All right. I’m ready.” And with those words said, his mind began its assault on Natasi Daala’s mind.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

“So, is this supposed to be normal, guys?” Robonino whispered to no one in particular as Edaan silently sat on the ground and Admrial Daala was shuddering and grunting in what appeared to be pain.

In response, everyone shushed him, causing him to grumble to himself as he watched Edaan continue his attack on Daala’s consciousness.

_Two Hours Later_

Edaan felt stanger than normal, as he was viewing the past through the eyes of a tyrannical despot. He did not know how long his limited access to Daala’s mind would last, as Daala was putting up a considerable effort info keeping the information hidden form Edaan’s efforts, so he quickly searched through the memories of Daala: He briefly saw her childhood years as an orphan at Botajef, her time at the Carida Academy, as Wilhuff Tarkin’s illicit lover, her eleven years in the Maw Installation, her campaigns against the New Republic, Moff Getelles and his allies in the Antemeridian sector, the Yuuzhan Vong, Darth Caedus, the Jedi Order, Imperial Remnant, and the Mandalorians, as well as seeing her oversee all of Roly Meluar’s inhumane experiments on Force-sensitives, and ordering Belok Rhal to massacre anyone who stood between her and galactic domination.

He searched for what seemed to be an eternity until he found the memories that he was looking for. He came across a memory of Daala conversing with three Sith Lords: an aged human male with blue hair in a close shave, two horizontal scars on his left cheek that appeared to be lightsaber burns, had heavy tattoos all over his face, and went by the name of Darth Snoke; a middle-age Chagrian who was also covered in a series of Sith tattoos, who Daala recognized as Darth Wyyrlok, and a human female who Edaan recognized all too well as Vestara Khai, who had a series of Keshiri tattoos all over her face.

Delving deeper into said series of memories, his consciousness whirled through the last three years of Daala’s life, and he saw a myriad of images: he saw what appeared to be a mausoleum planet that was full of Dark Side hounds known as Tuk’ata, a series of elaborate tombs that connected to form an underground network of tunnels and catacombs, and at least two thousand Sith of all ages who were training for war against the Jedi and their allies.

Edaan saw an unholy alliance that was formed through hatred: In return for the One Sith, their leader, Darth Krayt, and his network of spies and sympathizers covertly supporting Daala’s coup in Mandalorian Space and the galaxy, Daala would rule the galaxy in the name of the One Sith as their proxy. Of course, they knew of Daala’s plans to rid the galaxy of all Force-sensitives, including the Sith, and planned accordingly, as Daala had spies within the non-Force-sensitives of Krayt’s growing order, while Daala knew of a double-cross on the Sith’s part at some point, so she accelerated her plans before the Sith were ready to move, and with the arrival of Edaan and the Shadow Alliance, she was forced to further speed up her designs, which ultimately resulted in her downfall and subsequent incarceration. With the information that he was looking for acquired, he exited Daala’s mind, and just in time, as Daala’s mind seemed to finally be rejecting Edaan’s presence.

_Five Hours Later_

“Edaan? Edaan? EDAAN?!?” A familiar and very shrill voice shouted into Edaan’s ear as he began to stir from his slumber. After a minute of struggling to open his eyes, they opened with a sharp intensity, and he saw the purple face of his wife looking over him, with Jarael in the background as she inspected the medical equipment that were connected to the device that was scanning his brain waves.

“Oh. Hey, Adari.” Edaan weakly said before he tried to get up. But, before he could, a firm hand was placed on his chest, keeping him in place.

“Sorry, Edaan, but Jarael here ordered you to get bed rest for at least another three hours. You were out cold for five hours after interrogating Daala for two-and-a-half hours and you gave us all a scare.” Adari regretfully said as she looked on with a sympathetic look.

“Indeed, Edaan.” Jarael said in a professional tone as she came over to see how Edaan was recuperating from his risky gamble. “You’re lucky that your mind wasn’t destroyed by Daala’s depravities, as you were heavily grunting in your sleep for the past three hours, and you put Daala into a coma with your technique.” She continued, but held up a hand to forestall any hasty questions on Edaan’s behalf, saying, “Oh don’t worry, Edaan. The tyrant’s expected to make a full recovery within the day.”

“Good. As much as I hate the woman, I want her to face justice accordingly, and not because of a miscalculation on my part.” Edaan said, his voice full of relief. He quickly remembered all of the information that he gained from Daala’s mind, and, without any levity in his voice, said, “You need to call the Jedi Council and the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, and get them on the transmitter. I know where the One Sith are hiding.”

“They can wait until you’re fully rested, Edaan. No one needs you to fall apart while you’re debriefing High Command.” Adari said in a tone that would brook no argument.

“Fine.” Edaan said in defeat as his eyelids grew heavy, and he fell back to sleep. But before he lost consciousness, his last thoughts were _I’m coming for you, Vestara, so just hang in there a little longer._

**And, cut! Well, that ends another (hopefully) good chapter of my latest story, and I think that said story is starting to wind down, especially with the Defense of Mandalore out of the way. And just in time for the latest episode of _Star Wars Rebels_ that premieres tonight, which I am eager to watch, despite the (what I consider to be) non-canon appearance of Wedge Antilles and another legendary pilot that I will not name (as I saw some spoilers for the episode on theforce.net forums) that I can’t include in my headcanon. So, I saw _Deepwater Horizon_ with my father today, and it showed me how dangerous even the smallest actions can have huge consequences, which is true for any era, basically. By the way, like I said before, I might have to cut back on writing my chapters for this story, as I have two big assignments for one of my two community college classes that are due on October 20. Oh, and before I forget, may God be with the people that are suffering because of Hurricane Matthew, and I hope all of your prayers are with those people, because they are with mine. So, in other news, what books are you reading right now, as I’m waiting for the Ahsoka Tano novel to be released next Tuesday before I read another book, and I have four other books to read after that, and each of them are good, as one of them is on Dwight Eisenhower and his life. Oh, and I am sorry that my chapters are short, but I just write the ideas as they come to me, such as the descriptions of Daala’s interrogation, and Edaan’s visions from said interrogation. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or review, and I will do my best to answer said questions. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	25. Chapter 24

**What’s going on, Star Wars Expanded Universe fans? How are you doing on this rainy day of October 8, 2016? I am fine, and I am excited for more of Season 4 of _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ , especially the intro of Super Shredder, and the possible appearance of Dark April, as well as Season Three of _Star Wars Rebels_ , and the growing struggle against Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Galactic Empire. Speaking _of TMNT_ , I am eager to get the graphic novel crossover between the Turtles and Batman that was released a couple of months ago. Anyway, there is less than one hour until the latest _Star Wars Rebels_ comes out on Disney XD, and boy, am I excited, despite its blatant distortion of the Expanded Universe. Well, did you guys see the trailer for _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne_? Can you feel very sympathetic for Vaylin and Senya or what? I can, and I am very eager to see what _Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne_ has in store for the Outlander and the Alliance’s allies in the ongoing struggle against Empress Vaylin and SCORPIO on December 2, 2016, especially since it’s the last output of Expanded Universe material since the people in charge of Lucasfilm are, in my opinion, too stubborn to listen to so many of its fans. Hey, speaking of which, do you guys and girls remember when James Luceno said in his interview with Del Rey that LucasBooks listened to its fans in preserving the Bantam Star Wars books when creating _Star Wars: The New Jedi Order_? If only the current command structure in charge of LucasBooks would adopt such a similar approach. Oh well, it pays to dream, as said dreams might one day come true, Force willing. So, what do you think will happen in this chapter of _Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon_ , as even I don’t know what will happen yet, and I’m writing this story, for crying out loud? Oh well, let’s get on with the story, as I’m sure that it will be a great chapter, as plans begin to form, and this story begins to wind down. **

_1730 Hours, In the Briefing Room of the_ Megador

“Good to see you up and at it again, Edaan.” Jaina said as she and Grand Moff Sarreti, Adari, Boba, Sabine, Mirta, Armand, Trista, Azzim, Gavin, Ghes, Goran, Kral, Nek Bwua’tu, Traest Kre’frey, Venku, the seven members of the Grey Cadre, the Jedi Council, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, Han Solo, and Ben Skywalker attended the makeshift meeting in either physical of holographic form. “You gave all of us a scare when you were in that coma. Even Mandalore was a little worried for your safety while you were down under.” She humorously said as she glanced at Boba.

“Really?” Edaan said, shocked that Boba actually cared about a Jedi.

“Don’t let it go to your head, Edaan.” Boba annoyingly said as he rebuked the young Jedi. “I was just concerned for the safety of the Shadow Alliance, because if you go, the Alliance will inevitably fracture and dissolve, leaving the galaxy vulnerable to a Sith takeover.”

“ _Right._ ” Ben hesitatingly said, hoping to get this meeting underway. “ _So, Edaan, did you learn anything about the Sith and their plans?_ ”

“Yes, and it’s not good.” Edaan gravely said. “The One Sith are located on Korriban, and there are at least two thousand of them within the planet’s tombs and catacombs. I know how to get to them, though.”

Once Edaan spoke of the numbers that the Sith currently had, everyone’s mouths fell agape, even the mouth of Boba Fett.

“ _Perhaps you should start from the beginning, Edaan._ ” The Whiphid Jedi Master K'Kruhk said, hoping that Edaan explaining everything would allow the Jedi Council and the Shadow Alliance to begin to put together the complete picture of the Sith’s designs.

“All right.” Edaan said before he took a deep breath to center his thoughts, as well as the memories that he had acquired from the deranged mind of Admiral Daala. “Approximately three years ago, Daala was approached by three Sith Lords who claimed to be the servants of the Sith Lord that we know as Darth Krayt. She was ordered to go to Korriban, deep below the Valley of the Dark Lords, where she, along with Belok Rhal and Roly Melusar, met the three Sith Lords. One was a human male that went by the name of Darth Snoke, while-”

“Wait! Did you just say ‘Snoke’?!?” Sabine suddenly exclaimed as the eyebrows of Leia Organa Solo’s holographic form rose as well.

“Yes. Wait, do you know who Snoke is?” Edaan said, his interest piqued at Sabine and Leia’s reactions to his information.

“That depends. Is he around seventy-five years old, and does he have two lightsaber burns on his left cheek?” Sabine gravely said as her eyes had a grave and fearful expression on them.

“If Daala’s memories were correct, then yes. Oh, and he was covered in Sith Tatoos.” Edaan said in confirmation.

“Oh, this is not good. If I’m right, then Snoke is one of my old comrades from the early years of the rebellion against the First Galactic Empire.” Sabine said, her tone full of apprehension as she spoke.

“Who could it be? You only knew three Force-sensitives during the early years of the Galactic Civil War, and two of them, Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus, died before the Battle of Yavin, while the third, Ezra Bridger, was reporting Missing in Action not long before the Battle of Yavin…” Edaan’s line of thought trailed off as Sabine’s implication was registered in his mind. “No, you don’t mean…”

“I’m afraid so, Edaan.” Sabine said as she felt each pair of eyes on her as they expected her to answer Edaan’s unanswered question. “Ezra Bridger is Darth Snoke.”

After his mouth fell agape for a full minute, he gathered his wits enough to whisper one single and coherent word, “How?”

“It’s a long story.” Sabine and Leia simultaneously said, afterwards, glancing at each other for an instant before Sabine asked, “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

“ _He was your friend, Sabine. I only met him a couple of times, so I’m not the best qualified to explain how this turn of events came to be._ ” Leia honestly said to the Mandalorian.

“All right.” After taking a deep breath to speak, she began to speak, asking Edaan, “I assume that you know about the Lothal Rebels?”

“Of course I do. I studied a lot of your rebel cell’s guerilla tactics that occurred in the years before the Battle of Yavin during my time at the Jedi Temple on Shedu Maad. They were really brilliant, as you guys survived multiple Inquisitors, Imperial Security Bureau agents, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Sith Lords such as a possessed Savage Oppress and Darth Vader, not to mention that you and the early rebel cells provided a big part in forming the Rebel Alliance, not discounting the roles of Vader’s former apprentice, Galen Marek, Senators Garm Bel Iblis, Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa, and all of their allies.” Edaan honestly replied.

“Well, at least some people still recognize that the Jedi can’t solve every problem that the galaxy throws at us.” Sabine jokingly said before continuing, saying, “Do you know of the mission to Korriban in the third year before the Battle of Yavin?”

“Only in passing. I found a mention of the mission, and it said that it was responsible for killing three Inquisitors, the blinding of Kanan Jarrus, and the deaths of Ahsoka Tano by Darth Vader, as well as the possessed Sith Lord Savage Oppress.”

“That’s only the tip of the iceberg, Edaan. Earlier in that year, Ezra, Kanan, and Ahsoka had received telepathic instructions from Master Yoda to go to Korriban in order to find out how to defeat the Sith and their Inquisitors. Once we had established Chopper Base on Atollon, and had dealt with the locals,” Sabine shivered for a second at the recollection of the spider-like Krykna that had killed a good woman, and continued, “the three Jedi had then left to go to Korriban, and had run into three Inquisitors, the Seventh Sister and the Fifth and Eighth Brothers, Savage Oppress, who was possessed by the spirit of his brother, Darth Maul, and Darth Vader, Ahsoka’s former master. Ezra got separated from the others, and ran into Maul, who taught Ezra the basics of Sith philosophy, and helped him get a Sith holocron from one of the ancient tombs. The two of them then helped Ahsoka and Kanan kill the three Inquisitors, and Maul sent Ezra to activate a Sith Temple in order to draw Vader into a trap. But then, Maul turned on the others, blinded Kanan, and engaged Ahsoka before Kanan threw Maul off of a ledge to his death, while Ahsoka and Ezra fought Vader. It was a losing battle, as Ezra lost his first lightsaber, and Ahsoka found herself outmatched by Vader. By then, the Sith temple was revealed to be a battle station of some kind, and, while Vader and Ahsoka fought, a blind Kanan and Ezra removed the Sith holocron from its obelisk, causing a meltdown within the temple. Before they escaped, Vader tried to take the holocron from the two of them, and Ahsoka came up from behind and slashed off part of Vader’s mask. According to Ezra, Ahsoka then tried to offer compassion to Vader, as she must have found out that Vader was her old Master, Anakin Skywalker, and Vader rebuffed it, continuing the fight as Ezra and Kanan had to leave with Chopper, our astromech droid, where a minute later, the Temple exploded, and they sensed that Ahsoka was killed by Vader, who somehow survived the explosion.” Sabine said, finishing her explanation.

“Well, Vader did kill off hundreds of Jedi, survive an encounter with Mandalore, and survive countless assassination attempts.” Edaan said in thought before he asked, “What happened next? How did Ezra go from a caring Jedi to an evil Sith Lord named Darth Snoke?”  

“It was a long and slow process, Edaan.” Sabine mournfully said as a tear fell down her cheeks as she recalled how she lost her surrogate brother to the forces of darkness. “After Korriban, Ezra opened the Sith Holocron, built a green lightsaber, and slowly fell to the Dark Side. Despite Kanan and the rest of my makeshift family’s best efforts to help Ezra, over the next three years, he slowly became darker and more aggressive, reckless, and isolated from all of us in Phoenix Squadron, the rebel cell that we were affiliated with, until just before the Battle of Yavin, when he killed Kanan and Hera for trying to destroy the Sith holocron due to its hold over Ezra. Zeb, Chopper, and I went after Ezra in order to bring him in for trial, and we found him on Korriban, where all of this madness had begun. It took the three of us three days, but we had cornered and beaten Ezra, and just before we could take him in for his trial, Ezra used a Sith weapon of some sort to trigger an earthquake that nearly got all of us killed. In the chaos that followed, we were separated, and Ezra fell off of a cliff into an abyss, while we managed to escape the earthquake in the _Ghost_ , and set explosive charges on Ezra’s stolen Y-Wing for good measure, and escaped the seismic activity. We never saw Ezra again, so we presumed him to be dead. What I can’t figure out is how he survived for so long on a deserted planet.” Sabine said in thought as she finished reflecting over her early years of being a freedom fighter.

“Well, Sabine, as my ancestor once said, ‘The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities, some considered to be unnatural.’ I’m willing to bet that the Dark Side spirits that inhabit the tombs of Korriban taught Ezra how to extend his life through Dark Side techniques and Sith alchemy, and remained on the planet until Krayt found Snoke and, in the hatred that had consumed him for so long, had convinced him to get revenge on the galaxy for getting his parents and so many of his loved ones killed.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right, Edaan.” Sabine said as Mirta put her hand on Sabine’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. After taking a minute to collect herself, she said, “So, who were the other two Sith Lords that you saw in Daala’s memories?”

“Right.” Edaan hesitatingly said as he imagined the reactions that he knew that everyone would throw at him for still clinging to his childlike hope. “Well, the second Sith Lord was a Chagrian that Daala identified as Darth Wyyrlok, and, judging from the respect that the other two Sith Lords gave to him, he was obviously very high up in Darth Krayt’s chain of command. He might even be Krayt’s right-hand man.”

“ _And the third Sith Lord? Do you know who they are?_ ” Luke Skywalker asked, hoping to learn as much as he could about this new Sith order before they charged into battle.

“Unfortunately, yes, Master Skywalker.” Edaan reluctantly said. “The third Sith was a woman who went by the moniker of Darth Kitai.”

“Kitai? That’s a name from an extinct Sith family from Kesh. That name went out of existence over four thousand years ago. Who could…” Adari trailed off before she realized what Edaan was getting at. “You don’t mean…”

“I’m afraid that I do, Adari.” Edaan said, reluctant to tell anyone about the information that he gained, but knew that he was morally obligated to warn every one of the identity of this Sith Lady. “Darth Kitai is Vestara Khai.”

Everyone stood speechless at those words, especially Ben, whose eyes grew hard, cold, and sad at the mention of his first love.

“ _It all makes sense. After Vestara lost the planet of Kesh, she completely disappeared from the galaxy, along with the few hundred Sith survivors of the Lost Tribe of the Sith that escaped the Jedi’s invasion of Kesh._ ” Ben said after he recovered from his shock, remembering all of the Sith that he and the rest of the Jedi had destroyed in order to protect the galaxy from their scourge.

“Which likely means that that Vestara sighting at Mandalore must have just been an attempt to have Daala and the Shadow Alliance destroy each other, thereby weakening the galaxy for their takeover.” Bwua’tu said as he expanded on what Ben said.

“That’s what I said days ago. Don’t try to take credit for what I said, Bwua’tu.” Azzim exasperatingly said, annoyed that everyone was ignoring him. “Edaan, were you able to find out just who Darth Krayt is?”

“Unfortunately, no, my friend. Daala never met Krayt, as he was always deep within an underground temple, and Daala saw that it was guarded by at least ten Sith bodyguards at all times.” Edaan said with disappointment, which spread throughout the attenders of the meeting.

“ _Well, at least we know where they now are._ ” Han optimistically said. “ _So, when do we launch the invasion on that cesspool of a world?_ ”

“Within a few weeks, Han.” Luke said. “ _We need to assess our losses, and wait for reinforcements before we can invade Korriban. Edaan, you will work with Knight Korr and Grand Master Katarn in mapping where the One Sith are precisely located._ ” He continued.

This order surprised Edaan, who regained his composure within seconds, and said, “Very well, Master Skywalker. If that is your wish, then I will comply. Oh, and…I’m sorry for snapping at you and your sister and brother-in-law a few days ago.” He embarrassingly said.

“ _It’s all water under the bridge now, Edaan._ ” Luke reassuringly said with a small smile under his face. “ _Get some rest, as tomorrow, we start to prepare for the Siege of Korriban._ ”

With those words said, each person went to handle their respective duties, except for Edaan, who managed to speak to Adari and Sabine, the latter of which asked, “Something we can help you with, Edaan? I’ve got to prepare my brigade for the inevitable Invasion of Korriban, and I’m sure that Adari is going to help you prepare the _Second Chance_ for battle.”

“Actually, I need the two of you to help me. I’m still going after Vestara in order to redeem her, and, once I’ve finished mapping the surface and tombs of Korriban, I want the two of you and an elite squad of Mandalorians to come with me ahead of the invasion force.”

After the two woman took a moment to process this revelation, Sabine said, “Edaan, why in the _manda_ would I want to help you redeem one of the people who helped orchestrate the war that killed so many of my people?!?”

“Because you still care about the people of this galaxy, otherwise, you would have sided with Daala and her insanity. And, maybe you can redeem Ezra as well, as he was your comrade for nearly five years before he betrayed the Rebel Alliance. All of the years that you guys spent together must still mean something.”

“It did mean something. Before he butchered Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus and deserted the Rebellion before he could answer for his crimes!” Sabine said, exasperated by this Jedi’s blind idealism.

“Then, don’t you want to find out why he did what he did? And, wouldn’t Hera and Kanan want you to seek true justice, not vengeance, as it would besmirch the legacy that those two helped create?” Edaan persisted, hoping that Sabine would see things from his point of view.

“Don’t even try to use the Force on me, Edaan, whether it’s conscious or unconscious, as I know about your talent of connecting with other people, just like Meetra Surik did before and during the First Jedi Purge.” Sabine warned.

“I wasn’t planning on it, Sabine.” Edaan assured the seventy-seven year-old Mandalorian. “Look at it this way. We can reconnaissance the planet and, hopefully, gain more data on the One Sith’s numbers, arsenal, defenses, and precise location while we’re down there.” Realizing that Sabine was beginning to see his side of the argument, he turned to Adari, to whom he said, “Adari, if you or anyone else on the crew don’t want to go along, then I’ll let you stay with the Shadow Alliance here, as I don’t want to get any of you killed. I’ll even free Artoo from his programming to serve me, so he can decide if he wants to remain or not.”

Seeing what Edaan was trying to do, Adari vehemently said, “Oh, no, darling. If you’re going on a suicidal quest, then I’m coming with you in order to keep you alive, as I want you all to myself.” She added that last part seductively, hoping to addle Edaan’s mind so that he would acquiesce to her demand.

“You’re not going to accept ‘no’, are you?” Edaan amusingly said as Sabine looked on with a small smile on her face as she saw the young couple discuss their new and upcoming mission.

“Come on, luv, you should know me better than that. After all, we’ve known each other for about four years, and have gotten very… _intimate_ in the last few weeks.” Adari seductively purred into his ear, causing Sabine to laugh as Edaan grew visibly nervous at Adari’s public displays of affection.

“W-well, I suppose th-that I could use the backup.” Edaan timidly said as Adari began to nibble on his right ear.

“Oh, get a room, you two lovebirds. No, better yet, get a ship and- oh wait, you two already have one of those.” Sabine said as her laughter died down.

“Agreed, Sabine.” Edaan quickly agreed as he backed away from his Keshiri wife. “So, can I count on you and your support for this clandestine mission?”

“Why not? It kind of reminds me of our unauthorized mission to rescue Kanan from Grand Moff Tarkin’s former flagship, the Imperial Star Destroyer, the _Sovereign_. Just two questions, though.”

“Based on what you heard, you only have two questions?” Adari asked as she wrapped her left arm around Edaan’s waist.

“They’re important. So, who’s going to be in our strike team to Korriban?” Sabine countered, faux-offended by Adari’s annoyed tone.

“Well, my crew, if they agree, a handpicked team of your best Mandalorian soldiers, as well as around seventy people that live on Dantooine at this moment.”

“And, dare I ask, just who are these inhabitants of Dantooine, Edaan?” Sabine skeptically asked, wondering what Edaan was up to.

“Let’s just say that they’re reformed criminals that I gave a second chance to. Adari will like them.” He confidently said as he winked at Adari, causing her to blush in embarrassment.

“Okay, the lineup seems good, but I have two more people that I want to include in the strike team.” Sabine said as she tapped her chin in thought.

“Who?” Edaan and Adari simultaneously asked.

“Some old friends from the Rebellion.” Sabine wryly said before continuing, saying “Don’t worry, you’ll like the two of them. Well, one of them, anyway, as he’s as selfish and cantankerous as the come, which gets on your nerves rather quickly.”

“You don’t mean...” Edaan said as his mind put the pieces together and realized just who Sabine was talking about.

“Yep. And, if you want my people’s help, then they’re part of the package.” Sabine said in a tone that would brook no argument.

“Deal.” Edaan quickly said, knowing that there was no other way to get Sabine on board for his crazy scheme. Both warriors shook their hands as if closing a business proposal, and then went to do their individual things, with an eager Adari going with him to the Second Chance to… celebrate the victory at Mandalore, both of their survival, and to make their last moments of peace matter.

_Meanwhile, on Korriban, Deep Within the Catacombs of the Planet_

_My lord, Black Krrsantan and his surviving forces have arrived._ Darth Wyyrlok telepathically communicated to his master, Darth Krayt.

 _Good. How many forces do they have at their disposal?_ a voice made of durasteel replied to the Chagrian.

 _Approximately fifteen thousand men and women, and fifty capital ships._ Wyyrlok said.

 _The number is acceptable, my loyal ally. We will need all of the power of the dark side, as well as all of those soldiers in order to survive the coming siege, as Dician’s informants reveal that the Jedi have discovered our location._ Krayt said, shocking Wyyrlok.

 _How did the Daala break so fast? It was supposed to have taken the Jedi several weeks to acquire our location from her._ Wyyrlok incredulously asked.

 _Edaan Palpatine used a powerful mind probe to pry the information from Daala’s mind, and he is working with Jedi Jaden Korr and Kyle Katarn to map out the tombs and catacombs of Korriban._ Krayt replied.

 _How long do we have before the Jedi arrive, my master?_ Wyyrlok said as he struggled to maintain his composure in light of this news.

 _A few weeks, maybe two months, at best before they arrive. But, we may have a chance to weaken them before they arrive, as I’ve foreseen that Edaan Palpatine, Sabine Wren, Jaden Korr, and some of their closest allies will arrive before the main invasion. Alert Darths Kitai and Snoke about this development so that they can prepare the necessary measures for their capture._ Krayt ordered.

 _At once, my lord._ Wyyrlok dutifully replied as he left his master’s stasis chamber, which had fifteen guards simultaneously protecting it. As he walked to inform the two Sith Lords that were busy coordinating the arrival of Black Krrsantan’s forces, he mentally cursed the Jedi, thinking, _That Jedi is going to pay for interfering from my master’s plans!_

**And, that wraps up what will probably be one of the last chapters from my fourth story in the Jedi Odyssey saga. I hope that I surprised all of you with my inclusion of a Dark Side Ezra (well, darker than he already is), and two rebels that I think that all of you can figure out as to who their identities are. Well, if you can’t figure it out, then you’ll have to wait until the next story, as I won’t reveal who they are until then. Now, did you guys watch the latest _Star Wars Rebels_ episode last Saturday, as it was pretty good, minus the skewering of the history of the characters Wedge Antilles and Derek “Hobbie” Klivian, especially the inclusion of Agent Kallus as a new Fulcrum? By the way, Governor Pryce was a true Imperial, as she displayed cruelty toward her prisoners, and contempt for her subordinates. Let’s hope that she can be brought to justice soon, or the rebels are in huge trouble. So, did any of you guys get the new _Star Wars: Ahsoka_ young adult novel, as I ordered it online for almost half price, and am getting it delivered to my house within a few days? Let’s hope that it lives up to all of the hype that I’ve seen online, or I will be very disappointed. Anyway, are all of you eager for tomorrow, as _Star Wars: Darth Vader #25_ and _Star Wars: Han Solo #4_ come out in less than twenty-four hours? Well, May the Force be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**

 


	26. Epilogue

**Hey, you guys. What’s up on this fine Wednesday, October 12, 2016? I am doing well, as I got two Star Wars comics, _Star Wars: Darth Vader #25_ and _Star Wars: Han Solo #4_ , and each of them were amazing! I especially liked the survival of Black Krrsantan, Triple-Zero, BT-1, and “Doctor” Aphra, as I can now not feel guilty about including Black Krrsantan in my stories, and now I think that I will use Triple-Zero, BT-1, and “Doctor” Aphra in my remaining two stories. Oh, man. I just gave away some big spoilers in my saga. But, that’s okay, as you guys don’t know how I will use them. Heck, I’m not even fully sure how I will use them in the future, as I sometimes make things up as I go along. And, I kind of felt bad for Grand General Tagge, as he just did what he thought was best for the First Galactic Empire, and just made errors in judgment, not treasonous acts like Cylo and his minions committed. And let’s not forget Aphra, who Vader betrayed and tried to kill in the vacuum of space in order to cover up his secrets that Sidious discovered through his own means. By the way, did you guys hear about the latest report for the Classified Star Wars comic book series, as it is called Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, and it is about, Aphra, BT-1, Triple Zero, and Black Krrsantan. I can’t wait to see what this story brings to the table. So, have you guys been enjoying my stories, as this one is rapidly nearing the end? Let’s hope that I can make it the best one that I’ve written yet, as I think that my skills as a writer are improving. Oh, and, have you guys heard about the latest titles for _Star Wars Rebels_ episodes, as the first one sounds really exciting, while the third one sounds, in my opinion, a little weird? I’m willing to bet that the third one is about the inclusion of Hondo Ohnaka and Azmorigan that was seen in the first trailer of Season Three of _Star Wars Rebels_. Hey, do you guys know how many pages that I’ve written in this story so far? I’ve written over two-hundred pages on this story on Microsoft Word. By the way, have you guys noticed that I sometimes say my opinions of certain matters, such as TV shows, world events, and, on the rare occasion, politics? Well, that might need to stop, or at least be significantly curtailed, as a friend of mine warned me about the potential consequences of giving my opinions on this site, and I do not want to get kicked off of this site for what some people might consider to be “inappropriate behavior.” Don’t worry, I’m not in any trouble from the site’s administrators, I just wanted to let you guys know in advance. One more thing, I saw the movie _Sully_ on Tuesday, October 11, 2016, and it was a pretty good movie. I would recommend it to everyone who loves history, as it covers a pivotal moment in recent history. Well, with all of the fun and doom and gloom out of the way, let’s get started on this next chapter. Oh, and I have to tell you guys, I am moving the timeline in my story ahead by nineteen days in order to move the story along, as, for all I know, this could be my last chapter.**

_Day 73 of the Shadow Alliance’s Formation. 0800 Hours_

_Within the_ Megador _, In the Astronomy Lab._

“Well, I think that we’ve completed the map of Korriban’s tombs and catacombs.” Edaan said as he, Jaden, and Kyle sighed in relief at finishing their long and arduous task of mapping the bulk of Korriban’s tombs, catacombs, and underground structures.

“And to think that it only took us nineteen days to do this. Let’s just hope that this map is up-to-date.” Jaden wearily said as he plopped down onto his chair.

“Well, we did have to go through terabyte upon terabyte of ancient Jedi and Sith holocrons and records, old archeological maps and journals, old holomaps that are over four thousand years old, and the old schematics of the now defunct city of Dreshdae.” Kyle wryly said.

“Well, as you organics are fond of saying, ‘It was no picnic on my end either.’” Artoo irritatingly said, since no one was thanking him for his efforts in going through all of that data. Those words caused the three Jedi to laugh in response, confusing the veteran droid.

“Sorry, Artoo. The three of us just got so caught up in the four of our successes that we forgot all about you.” Edaan said as he held up his hands in order to convey an apology to his longtime friend.

“Apology accepted, my friend.” Artoo said.

“Good. Now if there’s nothing else, I’m going to get some grub, as I haven’t eaten in over eighteen hours.” Edaan said before Kyle held up his right hand in order to keep him from leaving.

“Actually, Edaan, there is one thing that Jaden and I want to discuss with you.” Kyle said, his voice completely serious now.

“Oh. What about?” Edaan said, wondering just what the two Jedi wanted to say to him.

“We know that you, your crew, and Commander Wren, a team of her elite Mandalorians, and two of her former rebel allies are going after Vestara Khai ahead of the invasion force.” Jaden said, getting right to the point.

At the mention of Vestara, Edaan’s eyes shot up, and his mouth fell open by about an inch. His shock evident to anyone that came walking by, Kyle said, “Close your mouth, Edaan. You’re letting insects into your mouth.”

Edaan quickly complied, and said the only question that mattered, “Does Ben know?”

“No, and we’d prefer to keep it that way.” Kyle said. “The two of us, of all people, understand why a person has to go off into a suicidal mission in order to conquer their personal demons and help those that they care about.”

“How did you find out?” Edaan gravely asked.

“We investigated the small allocation of resources being pulled from the fleet into some of Commander Wren’s ships, and mind-probed one of her more weak-minded men that knew of the plan, but wasn’t actually a part of the strike team, thankfully, as that could have proven catastrophic to your mission.” Jaden explained.

“Well, if you’re not going to tell Ben about my plans, then why are you here? And, don’t try and stop me, because I have to do this.” Edaan said, his voice full of durasteel and determination.

“We know. That’s why I’m coming with you on your mission.” Jaden sympathetically said.

“Uh… say what?” Edaan said, flabbergasted at this declaration, and unable to come up with any other coherent thought.

“You’ll need more than maps to survive Korriban, and I’m one of the few Jedi that have actually been on Korriban and lived to tell about it.” Jaden explained to Edaan.

After regaining his composer, Edaan said, “Well, I’ll take all the help that I can get. Welcome aboard, Jaden.” He held out his hand to Jaden in order to seal the arrangement, which the older Jedi eagerly shook. Once the handshake was done, Edaan respectfully asked Kyle, “How long until the invasion begins, Grand Master Katarn?”

“About eight weeks, Edaan. You and Sabine will need to move fast in order try and save Vestara.” Kyle honestly said.

“Well, that’ll have to do, as we were going to leave in three days, but we’ll have to move it up to two, maybe one-and-a-half days, if we can make it.” Edaan replied, before saying, “Also, I thought that the Jedi didn’t believe in trying, only doing.”

“Well, we’re not your average Jedi. Anyway, let us know when you’re leaving, and we’ll give you the clearance codes to leave the _Megador_ , and create a gap in the fleet’s formations for you and the others to get through.” Kyle said, before adding, “Of course, we’ll have to inform the Jedi Council and the Shadow Alliance High Command of this development so that we can change all of the clearance codes, fleet formations, everything, really, so that when we invade, the Sith won’t have more than the home field advantage.”

“Of course, I understand. I imagine that this will give Han and Ben an aneurysm when they find out. Oh, if only I were there to see it.” Edaan ruefully said, causing Kyle and Jaden to chuckle in amusement.

“May the Force be with you, Edaan Palpatine, Jaden Korr, and Artoo Deetoo.” Kyle seriously said as he took the datacard that contained the map for Korriban’s tombs and catacombs, and then left the room to leave the two Jedi and astromech droid alone with their thoughts.

“Well… I guess that I’d better go introduce you to our little club.” Edaan nervously said as he thought, _Oh, Sabine, Adari, and the others are going to kill me for this._

 _Fifteen Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance

_Thiry-five Hours and Forty-Two Minutes from Enacting Operation: Jedi’s Spear_

“Welcome aboard, Master Korr.” Sabine joyfully said as she shook Jaden’s hand in order to welcome him into their small clandestine group.

 _Well, that went better than expected._ Edaan thought with no small amount of relief that everyone in the illegal strike team was welcoming the latest addition into the team.

“Actually, it’s just Knight Korr, as I never became a Jedi Knight.” Jaden stoically corrected the elderly Mandalorian.

“What, you never wanted to be a stuck-up Jedi Master like Kenth Hamner?” Sabine humorously said, earning a death glare from Edaan and Jaden, who were offended at the woman’s insensitivity at the tragic death of a respected Jedi Master. Quickly picking up on their hostility, she said, “Sorry, guys, I got carried away with my disregard for most types of authority.”

“Just don’t do it again, Sabine, and we’ll call it even.” Edaan rigidly said as he struggled to contain his anger at Sabine’s lack of restraint when it came to her jokes.

“Deal.” Sabine apologetically said as she turned to Edaan and said, “So, according to Grand Master Katarn, we only have thirty-six hours, forty-eight at most, before we have to leave the Mandalore System and recruit our remaining allies and head for Korriban and go on your suicidal quest to redeem the vicious and treacherous Sith Lady Vestara Khai?”

“That about sums it up, Sabine.” Edaan confirmed.

“Heh. It kind of reminds me of when I stowed away on Kanan’s unauthorized mission to recruit the Journeymen Protectors from Concord Dawn, and tried to kill Fenn Rau before Kanan talked me out of it.” Sabine longingly said as she remembered all of the great adventures that she had with the Lothal Rebels and still-forming Alliance to Restore the Republic, before Ezra ruined all of it for her, Chopper, and Zeb by killing their surrogate parents.

After shaking her head out of her reflection, she said, “Well, now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, we’d better finish to stock up on supplies while we still have the time.”

“Agreed.” Jaden, Artoo, Edaan, and Adari simultaneously said.

“May the Force be with us all.” Edaan said to everyone present as he and Adari went to check up on Atai and Robonino to see how the repairs for their heavily modified YT-1300 Light Freighter, while Jaden went to do a systems check on his personal Z-95 Headhunter and astromech droid, who he affectionately named “Arsix”, and Sabine went to learn about the progress of her one-hundred-man company of Mandalorian Supercommandos.

 _Thirty-Three Hours Later, Onbaord the_ Aliit

_Two Hours and Forty-Three Minutes from Enacting Operation: Jedi’s Spear_

Sabine Wren was feeling fifty years younger, as she had just finished doing a systems check of her personal Corellian Engineering Corporation VCX-100 light freighter, the _Aliit_ , which meant “Family” in the Mandalorian tongue, and all systems were functioning at maximum capacity, including the weapons systems, which included dual laser turrets and two proton torpedo launchers.

 _Guess all of those mechanic lessons from Hera and Kanan finally payed off._ Sabine wistfully thought as her personal holocomm went off.

She activated it to see the form of Mirta Gev with a full duffle bag hanging from her shoulder, who asked, “ _Got room for one more passenger?_ ”

“Why in the name of the Force and _manda_ would you want to come along to confront a planet full of Sith, given your past history with them?” Sabine incredulously asked.

“ _Because, like Edaan, I know how Vestara thinks, which could prove invaluable in the two of your efforts to capture and redeem her._ ” Mirta replied.

“Does _Mand’alor_ know about this?” Sabine asked, not willing to go against her leader if he did not approve of this course of action.

“ _Unfortunately, yes, Sabine. He and Ghes made me promise to follow all of yours and Edaan’s instructions, otherwise, I can’t help you guys out._ ” Mirta honestly said.

“Well then, we’ll take all of the help that we can get, as there’s no telling how many karking Sith could be living on the hellhole of a planet.” Sabine gratefully said to Mirta as she opened the boarding ramp to the _Aliit_ , and went to welcome the new addition to the now one-hundred-and-one-man army of Mandalorians.

 _Thirty Minutes Later, Onboard the_ Second Chance

_Two Hours and Thirteen Minutes from Enacting Operation: Jedi’s Spear_

Edaan Palpatine was exhausted from the Teräs Käsi session he had with his wife, Adari Thayn Palpatine. Both fighters were very stressed from waiting for the launch from the main Shadow Alliance fleet that was dealing with the terms of surrender for the remainder of Natasi Daala’s Neo Death Watch fleet, and decided to burn off some of their excess energy through a martial arts session, with the rest of the crew, Jaden, Mirta, and Sabine watching. Unfortunately for Edaan, he could not get past his wife’s impenetrable defense, and was thrown onto the floor five times, twice on his face, as well as three times on his back, before he conceded defeat.

Once the match was over, the three women among the crowd went to congratulate the victorious Adari, while the four men and two droids went to help and console a dazed Edaan.

As soon as Edaan could speak coherently, he went to Adari, nodded in defeat, and said, “You have bested me, Lady Palpatine.”

“And I thank you for a good fight, Jedi Palpatine.” Adari gratefully said.

“Well, at least we know that the woman who married a great-grandson of Emperor Palpatine can give said descendent a run for his credits.” Sabine amusingly said to everyone, causing them to chuckle in good humor.

“Hah, hah, very funny. Do we have all of our provisions for the upcoming battle?” Edaan said, hoping to get everyone back on track, as well as forget about this embarrassing scuffle.

“Of course, Edaan. All of our ships are fueled, primed, and ready to fly in just over two hours.” Jaden said in his characteristically calm tone.

“Good. Now let’s hope that we succeed, or the Shadow Alliance and the galaxy is in deep _poodoo_.” Edaan said with just a hint of fear in his voice.

“Okay, enough with the doom and gloom, Edaan, let’s just get back to finishing our preparations. The _Aliit_ is ready to travel to Lira San, while my company watches the way out of the imploded star cluster, and you travel to Dantooine to find our mystery allies in the fight against the One Sith.” Sabine said as she checked her datapad on her ship and company’s state of readiness for their mission.

“Good.” Edaan gratefully said as he beckoned Artoo to come with him as he went to the _Second Chance_ ’s cockpit to do a last-minute systems check.

“Is it just me, Adari, or does Edaan seem more tense than usual?” Sabine asked Adari as the latter escorted the former to the outside of the ship.

“Well, knowing him, he’s probably really nervous about being so close to finding Vestara and achieve his lifelong goal of redeeming her. And he’s been focused on that goal since he was about eight years old, which was twelve years ago, so you can imagine just how driven he is to find and save her.” Adari explained to the Mandalorian.

“Why would he care so much about one Sith, especially one that’s caused so much havoc across the galaxy?” Sabine asked, surprised at the lengths that Edaan would go through to get what he wanted.

“Because he made a promise to himself to do so, and we can’t reveal any more without betraying Edaan’s trust in us.” Adari said, remembering the pain in Edaan’s voice as he first told her, the rest of their crew, and Armand about his childhood.

“Say no more, I understand, my new friend.” Sabine said in understanding, remembering when Hera and Kanan kept secrets in order to protect her and the rest of the _Ghost_ ’s crew.

“Good.” Adari gratefully said as Sabine went to her CEC VCX-100 light freighter in order to check in on her men.

 _Meanwhile, in the Cockpit of the_ Second Chance

“Artoo, I have a gift for you, my friend and comrade.” Edaan said, his tone completely serious as he took out a deprogramming tool from his set of Jedi Combat Armor.

“What is it, Edaan? And why do you have a deprogrammer in your hand? ” Artoo curiously asked as he saw the tool in Edaan’s hands.

“To correct a mistake I made on you, my good friend. I’m going to take away the loyalty matrix that I put into you, and give you back your complete free will so you can decide if you want to stay with me, or go back to serving the Skywalker and Solo clans.” With those words said, Edaan quickly activated the deprogrammer, and, after five minutes of searching for the correct set of commands, he found, extracted, and then deleted the programming that forced Artoo to serve him.

Once Edaan deleted said command, he said, “How do you feel, Artoo?”

Upon hearing said question, Artoo literally shocked Edaan with his electric arc welder, causing Edaan to yelp as he fell out of his chair and spasm on the floor for ten seconds before the uncontrollable spasm became bearable.

“Okay. I deserved that, Artoo.” Edaan conceded, before sadly saying, “So, I guess that I’ll be seeing you, if I survive my suicide mission, of course.”

“What are you talking about, Edaan? Of course I am coming with you. I just needed a little payback for you reprogramming me against my will.” Artoo shockingly replied. Those words made Edaan sputter in response before he calmed down and said, “But why? I reprogrammed you to serve me, and made you betray your family.”

“Because, despite my intense dislike of Vestara, your plan to redeem her will have a 33.76% chance of success, instead of a 24.87% chance of success, if I am a part of your team, especially if one of Commander Wren’s… companions is who I think it is, and is a part of your endeavors.” Artoo said, implying a heavy amount of distaste in his voice as he finished speaking.

“Well, hopefully he can put his selfish nature aside, especially since the galaxy’s fate is at stake here.” Edaan said as he mentally agreed with Artoo’s assessment of one of Sabine’s allies. “I’m glad that you’re sticking around, Artoo, as I still need you as a part of this crew. But, just to be safe, I’m going to do a partial memory wipe on you. But!!” Edaan quickly said in order to avoid another shock from Artoo, before continuing, saying, “I’m just going to wipe your memories of the classified files of the Shadow Alliance, the map that we’ve assembled of Korriban, and all of the data on the undercover members that any Jedi are undergoing so that their covers remain intact, and so that the Sith don’t have a greater edge against us than they already have.”

“I see. Well… that request is acceptable, Edaan. None of us want the Sith to gain another decisive advantage over us.” Artoo said in an accepting tone, and motioned for Edaan to get to work.

 _Two Hours and Eight Minutes Later, On the_ Megador _’s Bridge_

_Four Minutes from Enacting Operation: Jedi’s Spear_

Jedi Grand Master Kyle Katarn was counting down the last four minutes until Edaan and his allies began their surreptitious mission. To pass the time, and to give the illegal strike team a window to escape the Mandalore System, he began to converse with the officer in charge of Starfighter Operations of the Shadow Alliance’s fleets, a male Falleen captain that went by the name of Gial Terrik.

“Captain Terrik, if I might make a suggestion, why don’t you move Skull, Blade, and Comet Squadrons to sector L-4?” Kyle faux-innocently asked.

“But then Sector B-1 will be exposed, and enemy forces could escape to fight another day.” Captain Terrik replied.

“Which is why I have an elite squad of Jedi and Mandalorians on ready to relieve your men, as they’ve been flying in that sector for eight hours, and flying in total for twelve hours. Your men deserve a nice rest.” Kyle said, subtly using the Force to nudge the captain into making that lapse in judgment, ready to use his gauntlet to alert Edaan and Sabine about the limited window that they had to escape.

“Then again, my men do deserve a bit of a rest after working so hard. How soon can your squadrons arrive to reinforce Sector B-1?” Captain Terrik said, the Force suggestion taking effect.

“I have them ready to go within three minutes, Captain. I’ll alert them right now to this development.” Kyle said as he activated one of the buttons on his gauntlets, giving the two warriors and their allies the go-ahead to leave the system.

 _Concurrently, on the_ Second Chance

“Alright, everyone, we’ve gotten the signal. Everyone, punch it!” Adari said into the ship’s communicator. Once those last three words were spoken, the _Second Chance_ blazed to life, and quickly flew out of the _Megado_ r’s hangar, along with the _Aliit_ , which was right behind the CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter.

“All ships, report in.” Edaan said into the ship’s comms.

One after another, the other ten freighters in the covert strike force, along with Jaden’s Z-95 Headhunter, reported in, and they quickly flew to the gap in the Shadow Alliance’s fleets in sector B-1.

Once they had exited said sector, seven Jedi StealthXs, as well as Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, pursued the twelve ships.

“ _Attention,_ Second Chance _, this is Rogue Leader. Please turn around and return to the_ Megador. _This is your only warning._ ” Syal Antilles, the commander of Rogue Squadron, said with an authoritative tone.

“Jaden, take it away.” Edaan said to the elder Jedi Knight.

“ _You got it, Edaan._ ” Jaden replied before speaking to Syal on a closed channel. After two tense minutes of communicating, the twenty-seven starfighters flew off to return to their patrol.

“ _Nice work, Korr._ ” Sabine said as she praised the fifty-five year-old Jedi Knight, before continuing, asking, “ _What did you say to her in order to get her off of our backs?_ ”

“ _Only that Grand Master Katarn authorized a scouting mission into Sith Space, and that you Mandalorians were backup for us in case we were discovered. She had to clear it with the Grand Master, but he gave us the go-ahead._ ” Jaden explained.

“ _Good half-truth, Jaden._ ” Mirta said, impressed by Jaden’s creativity by using the truth to their advantage.

“ _Thank you, Commander Gev._ ” Jaden said as he closed the channel on his starfighter.

“All right, guys. Let’s stick to the plan. The Mandalorians head to Lira San in order to recruit Sabine’s rebel friends, while Jaden and I will head to Dantooine for our… special friends.” Edaan said, hoping to get going before their deceptions were exposed. _I hope Grand Master Katarn isn’t roasted too badly for this._ “We’ll rendezvous outside of the Horuset system in eight dyas, which leaves us with forty-eight days to undermine the Sith forces and redeem Vestara Khai. Any questions?”

Upon not hearing any response, Edaan then said, “Alright. May the Force be with us.” And with those famous last words, the twelve ships split up into two groups, with the ten Mandalorian ships launching into hyperspace towards Wild Space, while the two Jedi ships jumped to the plains world of Dantooine. Just before the Second Chance jumped into hyperspace, Edaan thought to himself, _It won’t be long now, Vestara. Soon, I’ll save you, or die trying._

_Meanwhile, in the Jedi Temple on Shedu Maad_

Ben Skywalker was teaching a lightsaber drill class when he received a vision. In this vision, he saw Edaan being tortured by Sith, and confronting Vestara Khai. Knowing what this meant, he rushed to see his father, aunt, and uncle at once and inform them of this turn of events so they could go reinforce the Jedi and Shadow Alliance forces at Mandalore.

_Concurrently, On Korriban_

Deep within the planet’s catacombs, Darth Krayt, the reining Dark Lord of the Sith, felt a massive surge of the Light Side of the Force move from the Mandalore System. Knowing what this meant, he alerted his most trusted advisor, Darth Wyyrlok of this development so that the One Sith could prepare for Edaan Palpatine’s arrival.

**And, that ends the final chapter of Star Wars: Jedi Odyssey: Shadow War II: Armageddon! So, what did you guys think of the story as a whole? Be honest. Oh, and what did you guys think of my author’s notes? Did you think that they were too opinionated on certain matters, or not? I enjoy what feedback I get, as I consider it to be a learning experience. By the way, my _Ahsoka_ novel came today, and I’m already over a third of the way done with it. And I am enjoying it! After that, I plan to read my two other science fiction books, and then read my book on Dwight Eisenhower. I plan to enjoy all of those books. So, are you guys excited for the next episode of Star Wars Rebels, because I know that I am, especially with the face-to-face meeting of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Hera Syndulla? I plan to start my next story soon, but I might take a couple of days off to rest my mind. I will see you all soon. May the Force Be With You, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!**


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